By Isaac Hiatt
Chapters
Forward
To write a complete history of this county from the time gold was
discovered in Griffin's Gulch in the
year 1861, down to the present time, is more of
a task than one would at first suppose. The public
records are not a full history of the
affairs of county government during the first years of its
existence, some of the books having been lost.
In the present work, accounts of
events and dates of their occurrence
have been taken from written documents
whenever they could be obtained,
and in other cases where no record could be consulted, conclusions
had to be reached by summing up the testimony of the best witnesses
to the fact. It must not be accepted as a matter of course that
every person's memory is more or less at fault in regard to events
that transpired a quarter of a century
ago, but by careful consideration of the recollections of different
persons who had an opportunity to
observe the facts at the time of their occurrence, the writer believes that he has been enabled to make his statements substantially
correct.
It has been the author's design to furnish a brief history of the most
important events which have occurred
since the first settlement of the
country; and an account of the
discovery of mines and the establishment
of business enterprises which have assisted in the growth
and development of the county.
The chapter on county government has
been carefully
compiled, giving as nearly a
complete list of all the officers who have served in any capacity,
as could be obtained, and also
the names of the principal State
and district officers, and arrangement which it is hoped will
be found convenient and useful for
reference. The public affairs of
Baker City have been treated the same way
as far as records could be
found for consultation.
The history of the public schools is,
for reasons given in the chapter
on that subject, far from being as
full and complete as
it should be,
but it is not possible to trace the
progress that has been made, step-by
step from the beginning, it is at
least instructive to compare the present
state of school affairs with what it was twenty years ago.
The writer is under obligations to the
pastors and members of the
several churches for their courtesy in furnishing the material for
the
sketches of the different religious
organizations and their work.
A full
statistical report of the different business pursuits
followed in this county would far
exceed the limits of the present work, and no
attempt has been made to compile such
a report. References to mining
have been made with a view indicating the progress that has been
made rather than minutely describing
the process by which it has been
done.
Nor would the
limits of the work permit short biographical sketches
of all the pioneers of Baker County, and such
as have been introduced are
given more in illustration of the general subject, than
as
strictly personal narratives.
The incidents
and anecdotes related will remind old-timers, of bygone
days, and awaken pleasant memories of things half forgotten, whilst
to others they will be a help in the matters of forming an opinion
concerning the state of society an the methods, or want of methods,
in business affairs in pioneer times.
The author is
under obligations to many of the old settlers for their
assistance in gathering up facts, and
tenders his thanks to them, and
to all officials of the county
for their courtesy and
assistance in examining the
records in their offices. To
the proprietors of the Bedrock
Democrat many thanks are due for the privilege accorded
by
them of examining the files of that
paper; many valuable facts were
obtained from that source.
To all friends who have taken an interest in the work the author
tenders his thanks, with the hope that
notwithstanding its many imperfections it will in some measure at least meet the expectations
of the public.
I. Hiatt
Baker City, Oregon
Thirty-one Years in Baker County, Isaac Hiatt
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