Site History
The Baker Cabin site has two historic structures: the 1856 Baker Cabin sitting on its Donation Land Claim and the 1895 Pioneer Church, moved to the site in 1967 from Upper Logan (Springwater). The cabin was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1976.
Cabin
Horace and Jane Baker traveled west from Illinois in the second wagon train leaving from Independence, Missouri, in 1846. This was the first wagon train to cross the new Barlow Road from The Dalles to Oregon City. The Barlow Road bypassed the treacherous ride on rafts down the Columbia River.
The Bakers chose the area now known as Carver for their 640-acre donation land claim because of the significant formation of high-grade basalt rock immediately behind where the cabin sits now. Horace Baker was a stone mason by trade and envisioned this area as one of great promise.
The quarry became a thriving business. The area came to be known as “Baker’s Quarry” and held that name for many years. Horace also ran a slack-line ferry across the Clackamas River where the bridge is now located. This ferry allowed the areas of Springwater, Logan, and Upper Logan to develop.
In the area that is now the Carver boat ramp, the quarried rock was loaded onto barges and floated six miles down the Clackamas River to Oregon City during the spring floods and further distributed from there. Rock from the quarry provided the materials to build the Oregon City Locks, the Tillamook Lighthouse, Portland’s Pioneer Post Office, the Portland Hotel (since torn down), and numerous rock walls throughout the Oregon City area, including the overlook for Willamette Falls on modern-day Highway 99E.
It was fall of 1846 when they arrived in Oregon, and as most pioneers did, they lived out of their wagon the first year. The Bakers lived at the site for 10 years prior to building this cabin. There may have been a smaller, temporary residence for their initial years at the site. An archaeological study in 1975 noted footings for a smaller floorplan near the current cabin site. There are no records of the temporary dwelling they used prior to the current cabin’s construction.
Since Horace was occupied with business, the story is that neighbors eventually took care of Jane Hattan and constructed the cabin out of squared timbers originally destined for the California Gold Fields. The timbers were hand hewn from Douglas Fir logs harvested from the property. No pegs or nails fasten the lap-jointed logs. The cantilevered design is common to the East Coast but seldom seen on the West Coast. The second-floor loft is accessible by the outside stairs.
Horace Baker died in 1882 at the age of 80 and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Oregon City. Jane died 16 years later, at 79 years old, and is buried in Pleasant View Cemetery, Logan. After the Bakers’ deaths, the cabin remained vacant except for short periods when family members occupied the site.
After some time, additions were built onto the west end of the Cabin and housed the kitchen. However, these additions were destroyed by fire twice and were not rebuilt. Baker descendants lived in the cabin until 1901, and at that time, the building was abandoned.
Luckily, the cabin was saved and restored to its present condition in the 1930s by the Old Timers Association of Oregon (now known as the Baker Cabin Historical Society). With funding provided through a grant, a second major restoration project was completed in 1991. Rotting timbers were replaced, the foundation was restored, windows and door frames were renewed, the fireplace was repaired, and a front porch was constructed.
Also, on the site, is a shed built in the style of the pioneers, which houses the antique stagecoach called the “Mud Wagon.” Built in Ohio, the stage served many routes here in the Portland area, including the road from Sandy to Portland. This design of wagon was particularly suited to the muddy road conditions of its day, hence the name. The wagon has been restored and is on static display. A smaller market wagon is undergoing restoration for future display.
Church
The church was abandoned in 1920 and eventually slated for demolition. It was acquired by the Old Timers Association in 1967. The church was salvaged by a group of community members led by Ernest Heinrich, who moved it to the Baker Cabin Site and renovated it there. Inside, the original pulpit presides at the front of the room, and the antique organ, pews, and chairs were donated at the time of the restoration.
Beautifully restored by community fundraising and volunteers, the Pioneer Church, in its tranquil wooded setting, is very popular for weddings and non-denominational events. Wedding or concert rentals provide the majority of funds to maintain and present the entire site to the public.
Baker’s Quarry / Stone / Carver, Oregon
While the Bakers’ thriving business quickly gave name to the area, the community would later become known as “Stone.” The new name came not from the quarry but instead honored Livingstone Stone, the first superintendent of a fish hatchery located near the confluence of Clear Creek and the Clackamas River. The land for the hatchery had been donated by Horace and Jane Baker. This was only the second fish hatchery in the nation and the first in Oregon.
The area of “Stone” was subsequently renamed again in the early 1930s, this time becoming “Carver” to recognize Steven Carver, who platted the first development in the area and built a railway to service the town. His hopes for founding a true town fell short of the mark, but the Carver area did develop several businesses, including a butter creamery, grocery, elementary school, and bank, among others. Details and articles can be found in our Archive Library.
