Baker County, Oregon Genealogy

''This article is about a northeast Oregon county. For other uses, see Baker.'' Guide to Baker County, Oregon ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Oregon Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Baker County Government

County Records Inventory listing the records held at the Baker County Court House as of June/July 2010.

Baker County Court is structured differently. Check the County Records Inventory link for addresses for location of records (left column).

This courthouse has the reputation of being the cleanest county record depository in the state of Oregon.


 * Record Loss: Some will books were lost in a county clerk's office fire in 1890s. One early marriage register is missing (covering 1862-1877) (as of 15 August 2012).

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at

Oregon, Baker County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Historical Facts
Named for U.S. Senator Edward Dickinson Baker of Oregon, who was killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff in the Civil War.

Record Loss

 * 1890s Some will books were lost in a county clerk’s office fire in the 1890s.
 * One early marriage register missing (as of 2005).

Boundary Changes
22 September 1862: Baker county was created from Wasco County.

14 October 1864: Union County set off.

17 February 1887: Malheur County set off.

1 February 1901: The Panhandle area between the Powder River and the Wallowa Mountains was returned from Union County, forming the northeast corner of Baker County.

For animated maps illustrating Oregon County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Oregon County Boundary Maps" (1843-1975) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities Towns Unincorporated Communities

Ghost Towns

Defunct Post Offices

 * Anthony
 * Arthur
 * Audrey
 * Augusta

Trivia Tidbits
Information about localities, too small or too brief to describe in separate pages. Exception to this are Post Offices. &gt; Trivia Tidbits

Biography
An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney counties ; ([Spokane, Washington]: Western Historical Publishing Company, 1902). Heavy on history (prehistoric to time of publication), heavy on biographies of prominent men, but little of genealogies. Also available in other forms:


 * 1) Baker County Biographies USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 2) eBook - HeritageQuestonline.com (LAR)
 * 1) eBook - HeritageQuestonline.com (LAR)

Thirty-one years in Baker County: a history of the county from 1861 to 1893; Isaac Hiatt ; (Baker, Oregon: Baker County Historical Society and the Powder River Sportsmen's Club, 1970).

Cemeteries

 * Oregon Metro
 * Oregon Genealogy Cemeteries

Federal
Note: 1870, 1880, 1890 and 1900 censuses, the Panhandle of Baker County enumerations can be found in Union County when it was part of Union County.


 * 1870 - the area between Baker City, Haines and the Blue Mountains, generally known as Wingville, was overlooked and not enumerated.


 * Baker County 1870 Census USGenweb Archives Project


 * Eastern Oregon 1870 U.S. Census: Baker County, Grant County, Umatilla County, Union County


 * 1880 - the portion that later became Malheur County (all the places south of the Malheur River including what is now Ontario, Vale, Nyssa, Owyhee, etc.) was not enumerated.


 * Baker County 1880 Census USGenWeb Archives Project


 * 1890
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930

Militia

 * 1891 and 1892 Baker County Militia Census

State

 * 1905

Church History and Records (rural only)
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

County Records

 * 1862-1950 at FamilySearch — index

Court Records

 * Widow's pension applications and ledger, Baker County, Oregon, 1913-1936 (Baker County Court, State of Oregon, 2001)

Directories

 * Eastern Oregon directory, 1899-1900: a complete directory of Umatilla, Union and Baker counties; with the Portland business directory
 * Baker City (Oregon) city directories, 1908-1935
 * Baker (Baker County, Oregon) city directory: including Baker County residents, rural routes, also a buyers' guide and a complete classified business directory, 1959-

Emigration and Immigration

 * MyHeritage ($) Ellis Island and Other New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Genealogy
Biography, History


 * The History of Baker County; Baker County Historical Society, pub. 1986. ; ([S.l.]: Baker County Historical Society (OR), 1986) Little of biography and local history, more of family genealogies.
 * Centennial pioneer families of Baker County, 1976

History
Also see: Biography, Genealogy

Land and Property

 * Married Women's Separate Property in Baker County Original text from Works Progress Administration's booklet, USGenWeb Archives Project


 * Baker County Land and Deed Records USGenWeb Archives

Maps

 * Hometown Locator for Baker County
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Baker County, Oregon for European and African American settlers included:


 * Snake River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

World War I

 * 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * 1) Newspaper clippings USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 2) Oregon Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.

Obituaries

 * Baker County Oregon Obituaries
 * 1) Baker County Obituaries USGenWeb Archives Project

Pensions
Court records for the widows pensions

Probate Records
Note: some will books were lost from a small fire in the county clerk's office before 1900.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1833 – 1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * Baker County wills USGenWeb Archives Project

Rivers and Waterways
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. &gt;&gt; Rivers and Waterways

Taxation

 * Baker County, [Oregon], assessment tax rolls, 1892-1897
 * Baker City (Oregon) city directories microfilm 2309792 Item 1 Tax lists are for Baker, Grant and Union counties 1908-1909, listed as last part of the volume.

Vital Records
Record of births and deaths: record of physicians, midwives and undertakers, 1916-1929 #

See also How to order Oregon Vital Records, order electronically online or download an application for Oregon Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.

Birth Records

 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (*); Also at: Ancestry
 * 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Delayed Birth Certificates


 * Birth Certificates USGenWeb Archives

Marriage Records

 * 1826-1975 Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1849-1884; 1991-2006 at FamilySearch — index and images; collection is incomplete.
 * 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
 * Extractions of early marriages are listed on the Western States Marriage Index
 * Marriage Index 1885-1896 Actually is a book of affiants reporting the marriages. Historical Records Collection

Death Records

 * Baker County Deaths USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Record of deaths, Baker County, Oregon, 1905-1911

Societies, Libraries and Museums
Baker County Historical Society Box 83 Baker City, OR 97814 Website Baker Heritage Museum 2480 Grove St. Baker City 97814-2719 541-523-9308 Website E-mail:[mailto:www.bakerheritagemuseum.com www.bakerheritagemuseum.com] Baker County Public Library 2400 Resort St Baker City, OR 97814 541-523-5419 Website

Family History Centers

 * Baker Oregon Family History Center
 * John Day Oregon Family History Center
 * La Grande Oregon Family History Center
 * Ontario Oregon Family History Center
 * Pine Valley Oregon Family History Center
 * Weiser Idaho Family History Center

Websites

 * Baker County, OR History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Oregon Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Baker County, ORGenWeb Project
 * Baker County, USGenWeb Archives
 * Linkpendium
 * Oregon, Baker County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records