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Baker Historic District
Baker City in the late 19th and early 20th
Founded in 1866 and incorporated in 1874, the town is also the county seat of Baker County, which was formed by Legislative Assembly in 1862. Because Baker City is on a railroad route—and located about halfway between Portland and Salt Lake City—it served as a popular overnight stopping point for early rail travelers. With such towns as Auburn, Sumpter, and Sparta close by, Baker City soon became the focal point of activity.
Unlike many other mining towns which boomed only briefly, Baker City enjoyed a sustained period of prosperity. Dubbed “Queen City of the Mines,” it was once considered to be the premier social center along the Oregon Trail (see color post card, 1920). The city’s prosperity was based not only on the steady influx of mine-related wealth, but also on ranching and timber interests. Toward the end of the Great Depression, however, the local economy flagged and Baker City went into a decline which only “bottomed out” in the mid-1980s.
Baker Historic District now.
The historic district, which encompasses the commercial and civic centers of the town, was nominated to the National Register in 1978, and contains one of the best collections of stone buildings in Oregon. Styles of buildings range from Commercial Italianate to Moderne.