Baker City has more than one hundred beautiful, century-old buildings. We saw several downtown and this, the Geiser Grand Hotel, was our favorite. The city has been named one of the Prettiest Small Towns in America by Rans McNally and others.
The five of us wanted to see the Baker City Heritage Museum after many in the larger group praised it highly. Look at the website, since we can only skim over the highlights.
If you look at some of these photos, you may realize this was originally a natatorium. Used by the Army in WWII, it was never restored to its original purpose. Fortunately, the local historical society saved it.
The carriage on the left is a taxi and the other a school bus.
A beautifully preserved Miner's Tinware Dinner Pail.
A jigsaw operated by foot pedal. It reminded Linda of her mother's old Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine.
Don't try to read this - it's repeated below. The boots were Mamie's.
Cavin-Warfel Rock Collection
The world-class rock collection you are about to see was assembled by two Baker County women over a half a century of collecting, from 1930 to 1984.
Housed here at the Museum, the Cavin-Warfel Rock Collection is the envy of rockhounds worldwide with its quartz crystals, thunder eggs, jasper cabochons, fossilized plants, fluorescent minerals and much more.
Elizabeth Warfel and Mamie Cavin, daughters of a Durkee placer miner, started collecting fossils and stones when they were in their 30's. They traveled throughout North America steadily adding prizes to the collection, but their most important find was uncovered right here at home in the Greenhirn mining area of Baker Countys fossilized Tempskya ...ferns from the cretaceous period 65 million years ago.
Realizing the value of the field, Warfel and Cavin traded rare Tempskya specimens for gemstones. fossils and minerals from all over the world. Their collection includes dioptase crystals from Russia, flint from the White Cliffs at Dover, and a fascinating side-winder snake and horned toad fossil from Mineral Hot Wells in California.
In 1984, when both women were in their 90's, they donated their 18 ton collection to our museum.
The rocks and gems were so beautiful we could have spent the day in just that exhibit. At the end of the room was a small side room with a black light and two cases of fluorescing rocks. Same rocks in normal light and black light.
Baker City, as a mining center, was also rich in culture...
as evidenced by this beautiful ballroom.
Remember "The Music Man"? "Seventy-six Trombones"? "Right here in River City"?
Baker City was the home of Wally Byams, designer of the Airstream. Blueprints for the trailers were displayed along with photos and itineraries for the Caravans.
John avoids having his picture taken. He detoured behind the post in an attempt to foil Carole.
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