BAKER CITY, OREGON

'Baker City' is a city and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon. This city was named after its county. The population was 9,860 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 10,035 residents.^[1]

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Sites of interest

Events

Sister city

References

External links

History

Although a post office was established on March 27, 1866, Baker City was not incorporated until 1874. The city and county were named in honor of the English-born U.S. Senator Edward Dickinson Baker. In 1911 the city dropped "City" from its name, but restored it in the late 1980s in recognition of its history and to further encourage tourism.

Geography

Interstate 84 runs along the eastern edge of Baker City, while U.S. Route 30 passes through its downtown area. Oregon Route 7 leaves Baker City to the south to the city of Sumpter and beyond. Oregon Route 86 heads north and east past the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and on to the cities of Richland and Halfway.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.9 km² (6.9 mi²), all land.
The town is situated in a valley between the Wallowa Mountains to the east and the Elkhorn Range, part of the Blue Mountains to the west, with the Powder River running through the center of downtown on its way to the Snake River.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,860 people, 4,010 households, and 2,602 families residing in the city. The population density was 550.9/km² (1,427.5/mi²). There were 4,435 housing units at an average density of 247.8/km² (642.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.14% White, 0.30% African American, 1.10% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.
There were 4,010 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,020, and the median income for a family was $34,790. Males had a median income of $26,638 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,179. About 10.7% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

★ Baker City Historic District^[2]

★ Baker City Tower - tallest building in Eastern Oregon^[3]

★ Geiser Grand Hotel^[4] - first opened in 1889, a National Historic Landmark

★ National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center^[5]

★ U.S. Bank in downtown Baker City - has a gold display that includes the Armstrong Nugget, weighing 80.4 oz.

★ Oregon Trail Regional Museum ^[6]

Events

Baker City hosts many annual festivals including Miners' Jubilee, which celebrates the mining history of the area on 3rd weekend of July, and the filming of the Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood film, ''Paint Your Wagon'' in the town.^[7]
The Miners' Jubilee was originally launched in 1934 as the Baker Mining Jubilee, but lapsed after 1941 because of World War II and a declining interest in mining. The event was revived by the Baker County Chamber of Commerce in 1982.
^[8]
The Elkhorn Classic bicycle race is based out of Baker City. The city hosts the Oregon School Activities Association Class 1A girls and boys basketball tournaments every year at Baker High School in March.

Sister city

Baker City has one sister city^[9]

★ Zeya, Russia

References

1. PSU:Population Research Center
2. [1]
3. http://www.bakertower.com/Pages/History.htm
4. Restoration of the Geiser Grand Hotel
5. National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center official site from the Bureau of Land Management
6. http://www.bakercounty.org/Museum/museum.html
7. Paint Your Wagon filming locations
8. “Celebrate 20 years of re-Jubilation
9. sister-cities.org, as designated by Sister Cities International

External links

★ Baker City Web Page

★ The Baker City Herald

★ Oregon Blue Book entry for Baker City

★ Baker City photos and information at Western Mining History