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Genealogy & obituary requests

An illustrated family tree with two generations above and four members below, labeled "Family Tree."

Library staff are happy to help genealogists and other historians with their research projects. This includes finding obituaries, news articles, and other articles. We also provide access to several print and online genealogy resources.

Costs for services:

  • See Fee Schedule below

Obituary requests

Obituary requests can be sent to obits@bakerlib.org (preferred) called in at 541-523-6419, or mailed to 2400 Resort St., Baker City, OR 97814. Requests should include the following:

  • Full name of decedent, exact date of death, place of death
  • Your name and e-mail and/or phone number
  • Whether you want digital or print copies

Our patrons keep us busy, so an exact death date is required for staff to conduct an obituary search.

BakerCountyHistoryResources.pdf

Newspapers, yearbooks, and other materials

The Library District has access to the following resources:

  • Baker City Herald, June 5, 1901 – December 31, 1917 (microfilm) 
  • Baker City Herald, June 23, 1994 – June 2008 (microfilm, current two years in print) 
  • Baker County Press, Jan 2014 - present (print)
  • Baker County Reveille, November 10, 1880 – December 21, 1887 
  • Baker Daily Record, May 19, 1927 – May 17, 1931 (microfilm)
  • Baker Democrat Herald, February 1, 1929 – September 11, 1989 
  • Baker Morning Democrat, February 15, 1890 - January 31, 1929 (microfilm) 
  • Bedrock Democrat, May 18, 1870 – December 28, 1891 (microfilm) 
  • Blue Mountain American / Sumpter News February 26, 1897 - Aug. 15, 1917 (microfilm) 
  • Eastern Oregon News, June 30, 1933 – December 1, 1939 (microfilm)
  • Haines Record, November 20, 1925 – October 23, 1931 (microfilm)
  • Record Courier, June 16, 1930 – December 2007 (microfilm, current three years in print)
  • Miscellaneous yearbooks from the following schools: Baker High School (Nugget); Baker Alternative School; Burnt River High School; St. Francis Academy
  • Miscellaneous Polk City Directories for Baker City from 1899-present
  • Internment records for the following Baker County cemeteries: Baker City (Mt. Hope). Records may not be current.
  • Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Baker City, 1903 
  • Hendrix File. An indexed collection of newspaper clippings regarding mining in Eastern Oregon.
  • Pearl Jones history files. Local newspaper clippings compiled by local historian. Organized by family name and subject.
  • Miscellaneous other Baker County, Oregon Trail, and Oregon books, periodicals, and other materials. 

Requests for copies of newspaper articles can be sent to info@bakerlib.org (preferred) called in at 541-523-6419, or mailed to 2400 Resort St., Baker City, OR 97814. Requests should include the following:

  • Approximate date of article, names of persons involved, subject, and/or location of event
  • Your name and e-mail and/or phone number
  • Whether you want digital or print copies

Our patrons keep us busy, so library staff unfortunately will not search for newspaper articles without an approximate date.

Electronic resources

The library subscribes to two online genealogy resources, and there are several free resources that may help you, too.

  • Baker County GenWeb
    A collection of online resources for people researching relatives in Baker County, including an active community of family historians who can assist in your research.
  • Find A Grave for Baker County
    A limited list of the cemeteries and internments for Baker County.
  • Ebsco MyHeritage Database (requires library card; accessible from home)
    Provides a collection of research materials for tracing family lineage and American culture. Includes thousands of genealogies, local histories, primary source materials, and genealogical and local history publications. Accessible from home!
  • Historic Photo Archive
    Photo archive of digitized photographs from the Baker County Library collection.
  • Historic Oregon Newspapers
    Digitized newspapers from the University of Oregon's Oregon Digital Newspaper Program. Includes The Sumpter Miner (1899 up through 1905), Eagle Valley News (1914-1919), several Walllowa and other eastern-Oregon area newspapers.
  • Newsbank HeritageHub Database (requires library card; accessible from home)
    Provides obituary and death notices from published news sources and funeral homes.

 

Other genealogy organizations in Baker County

In addition to Baker County Library District, there are several other organizations with an interest in genealogy in the area.