Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Sumpter Mining Dredge, Baker County, Oregon The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23: 1-3 In the next few weeks, we will take a deeper look at the North East Region of Oregon which includes the Counties of Baker, Wallowa, Union, Grant, Umatilla, and Morrow. The North East corner is a very scenic portion of the state with mountains, deep lakes, as well as dry plateaus, and wide-open spaces as we move to the west. Baker, just north of Malheur, is the first county on the list, and a particularly beautiful one with a rich history.  Baker County has three County Commissioners: Shane Alderson is the Commission Chair, Bruce Nichols is in Position one, and Christina Witham  is in Position two. The County Sheriff is Travis Ash , who oversees over 3,000 square miles of rugged county with a population of 16,...

Baker County, Oregon I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. Psalm 27:4 The Message We are moving into the Northeast Region of Oregon, which includes Baker, Wallowa, Union, Marrow, Umatilla, and Grant Counties. This is a mountainous and, in many places, isolated corner of Oregon, but with a rich history. Baker City was named the county seat in 1865 and incorporated in 1874. It is situated at the southern end of Baker Valley, and while thousands heading for the Willamette Valley during the wagon train days passed through this beautiful area, no one stopped to settle until four miners - Henry Griffin, David Littlefield, William Stafford, and G.W. Schriver - found gold in 1861 just a couple of miles from the present settlement.   Baker County, Oregon Baker City is a pretty town, with the Elkhorn Mountain Range to the west and the Wallowas to the east. The area has unl...

De Sales Cathedral, Baker County, OR (We are on vacation this week, so revisiting parts of an earlier post. ) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.   Psalm 23:1-3   The second anniversary of the 2020 Labor Day fires was this month, so many Oregonians are on high alert. Recently I-84 between Baker City and Pendleton was blocked due to wildfire. Continued prayers are appreciated for the entire state, as well as Baker County.     In 1811 Wilson Price Hunt was sent by John Jacob Astor to lead a group overland to establish the fur trading post of Astoria. Another group had been sent by sea. Hunt was young, fit and capable as a leader, but he lacked experience and underestimated the time it would take to get to the Pacific. The Overland Party followed the trail blazed by...

Baker County, Oregon The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.   Psalm 23:1-3   In 1811 Wilson Price Hunt was sent by John Jacob Astor to lead a group overland to establish the fur trading post of Astoria. Another group had been sent by sea. Hunt was young, fit and capable as a leader, but he lacked experience and underestimated the time it would take to get to the Pacific. The Overland Party followed the trail blazed by Lewis and Clark just a few years earlier, but then decided to swing south into unknown territory to avoid the hostile Blackfeet. By mid-winter in icy, snowy conditions, they found themselves starving in rugged Hell’s Canyon with no way to go forward. They split the party, tragically lost a couple of men, and finally found their way to the friendlier Shoshone who led th...