Editing Baker County, Oregon (section)

==History==
The first groups from the eastern U.S. following the [[Oregon Trail]] passed through the area on their way to the [[Willamette Valley]], unaware of the potential wealth they passed over. At Flagstaff Hill, near Baker City, {{convert|15|mi|km}} of wagon ruts left by immigrants can still be seen.

Oregon Territory achieved statehood in 1859. In 1861 gold was discovered in eastern Wasco County, and a gold rush ensued. The area quickly became the Northwest's largest producer of gold. In September 1862 the [[Oregon Legislative Assembly|state assembly]] created Baker County from [[Wasco County, Oregon|Wasco]]. Later, [[Union County, Oregon|Union County]] and [[Malheur County, Oregon|Malheur County]] were created from this county. Baker County's boundaries were adjusted for the last time in 1901, when the area between the [[Powder River (Oregon)|Powder River]] and the [[Wallowa Mountains]] was returned to the county.

[[Auburn, Oregon|Auburn]] was the original county seat; a booming mining town with 5,000 inhabitants. Once the gold was mined out Auburn's population dwindled. In 1868 county voters made Baker City the new county seat. Baker City was incorporated in 1874.

The population of Baker County nearly quadrupled from 1880 to 1910, largely due to the [[Sumpter Valley Railroad]] and several of its [[spur line]]s. The opening of the railroad helped lumber and mining operations develop.<ref>William G. Robbins, ''Landscapes of Promise: The Oregon Story, 1800–1940.'' Seattle WA: University of Washington Press, 1997; p. 142.</ref>

In 1914 [[Fern Hobbs]], on behalf of her employer [[Governor of Oregon|Governor]] [[Oswald West]], declared [[martial law]] in the Baker County city of [[Copperfield, Oregon|Copperfield]]. This was the first declaration of martial law in the state since the [[American Civil War]].

From 1915 through 1946, Baker County was represented in the [[Oregon State Senate]] by [[William H. Strayer (Oregon legislator)|William H. Strayer]]. When he died in 1946, Strayer had served in the Oregon legislature longer then than any person in the state's history.<ref>Loew, Tracy and Jonathan Bach [https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2018/11/06/senator-peter-courtney-retains-district-11-seat-challenger-greg-warnock/1782380002 "Peter Courtney Keeps Senate Seat, Shattering Record for Longest Serving Oregon Legislator"],''Statesman Journal'', Salem, Oregon, November 6, 2018.</ref>