Near Oregon City in Clackamas County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
The Baker Cabin Overview
In the early 1850s, during the height of the gold rush, a California company reneged on a special order for hand-hewn timbers. Horace purchased the 12-inch square logs, hand-hewn on all four sides, and in 1856 built the 20' x 30' house that is known as Baker Cabin. The walls are stacked nine logs high. With the exception of the top and bottom logs, which are mortised at the corners (i.e., fastened together by placing a cutout hole in the top log, over a peg in the log beneath it), the logs between are lapped together without mortising, using no pegs or nails to fasten them together. A salvaged example can be seen in the inside display case.
The cantilever porch design is unique west of the Mississippi, and very useful in this wet climate. The expanded attic space was useful as a sleeping loft, for storage, for guests, and for hired hands. The use of an outdoor staircase is somewhat unusual, and may have made easier the moving of materials to the upstairs. Horace was a pump maker, and it is quite possible that he kept a small workshop upstairs.
The downstairs living area was divided into two bedrooms and a living/kitchen area. Traces of the location of the partitions can still be seen on the logs. Also, on the logs are remnants of newspaper that was underneath the wallpaper. The newsprint dates from 1850 to 1860.
The cabin was occupied for approximately 50 years, until being abandoned in 1901. In October 1937 descendants and neighbors organized The Old Timers' Association of Carver, Oregon. They bought 1-1/2 acres with the cabin from John and Mary Hattan for $200, and undertook restoration of the unique cabin for posterity. Several logs had dry rot and the chimney was partially collapsed. The building was completely dismantled, with the logs of each wall laid out in the order they were remove and marked with Roman numerals. New logs were hewn to replace the bad ones, and the others were easily replace in proper order by the numerals - which are evident today. After restoration, a dedication ceremony officials named the building the Baker Cabin. Years of weathering and vandalism required additional repairs to be completed in 1986 using authentic tools and techniques.
The cabin was extended twice adding kitchen and living space. Both expansions are said to have burned and have not been replicated The stone used in the construction of the fireplace, hearth and outside chimney came from this property.
Erected by The Old Timers' Association of Carver, Oregon.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 45° 23.404′ N, 122° 29.799′ W. Marker is near Oregon City, Oregon, in Clackamas County. Marker can be reached from South Gronlund Road near Carver Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1800 South Gronlund Road, Oregon City OR 97045, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Baker Family (here, next to this marker); Area Commerce (a few steps from this marker); The Baker Cabin (a few steps from this marker); Grinding Rock (within shouting distance of this marker); Baker Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Baker Cabin Pioneer Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Baker Cabin Historical Society (about 500 feet away); Willamette Falls, circa 1880 (approx. 5 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oregon City.
More about this marker. This marker is located on the side of Baker Cabin on the grounds of Baker Cabin Historical Site.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2018. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 215 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 19, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.