Historic downtown and gold rush history in Baker City
Baker City's downtown is a National Register historic district, and its story starts with gold.
Gold and the county seat
Wikipedia reports that gold was discovered in 1861 in what was then eastern Wasco County, setting off a rush that made the area the Northwest's largest gold producer. Baker County was created from Wasco County on September 22, 1862. Auburn, a mining town and now a ghost town, was the first county seat. Baker City replaced it in 1868 and was incorporated in 1874. Wikipedia adds that the county's population nearly quadrupled between 1880 and 1910, helped by the Sumpter Valley Railroad, which served lumber and mining.
The Baker Historic District
The Baker Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 14, 1978. Wikipedia describes it as about 41.9 acres along Main Street between Madison and Estes Streets, with Late Victorian buildings dating from 1870. Contributing properties include the former Baker Hotel and St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. Wikipedia also describes the Geiser Grand Hotel, which opened in 1889, as a historic hotel in the district.