Eastern Oregon pioneer descendants show resistance to change Special

While Oregon City, near Portland, marks the end of the Oregon Trail, Bend in eastern Oregon holds much history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. From the belly of America's expansion, one finds history of change and modern resistance to it.

The Oregon Trail is the name of the main route west to Oregon from the United States that winds its way from Washington D.C. in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. There are many strategic places along the trail that became destinations for settlers, not the least of which was around the dry side of Oregon, in the valley that contains the noteable towns of Pendleton, Baker and La Grande. The main push in settlement came during 1840 as people made their way across a 2000 mile trek to claim land for making new homes. This was the promise made to married couples, that they could have 640 acres at no cost. Single adults could get 320 acres. Free land meant opportunity for people as they went west to make their fortunes in what was the new territories of the country, a part of the Louisiana Purchase that the Lewis and Clark expedition set out to explore.. The terrain was often dangerous, with newcomers facing wild animals and Native American tribes, the latter not always welcoming strangers whose intent made the native residents wary.

Carol Forsloff

Settlers had to cross snow-capped mountains to settle in Baker, Oregon.

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Baker, Oregon remains a key place along the trail, where change comes slowly, in spite of its history of settlement that came from folks seeking change. Today, according to residents, people favor the old ways, the traditions, and the special sites that give the locale significance for its place in history. It is, for example, the home of the Lewis and Clark Trail Interpretive Center and a famous hotel landmark known as the Geiser Grand.

Carol Forsloff

This is the grand, historical hotel in Baker, Oregon, home of one of the most prominent repositories of history related to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

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Inside the hotel is as grand as any, with the history of the region depicted by the architectural designs as well as the pictures that line the walls.

Carol Forsloff

This grand hotel stands out as a historical landmark in Baker, Oregon

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A drive through Baker takes little time, and most historical sites can be seen in less than half a day. But it is the story of the people who came west to find fortune and who now continue to eke out a living in the dusty plains of Oregon, where struggle remains part of the story in the recession of 2010.

Carol Forsloff

This is one of the many historic homes built around the turn of the 20th century in a town whose history dates back to the mid-1800's

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Ladawn, a young store clerk, works at a fast food store, that kind that beckons travelers from the highways to rest a bit, shop for essentials, pump some gas as tanks need filled, and find directions for places to stay and visit.

Carol Forsloff

This is a convenience store in Baker, Oregon, the kind where people stop and ask questions and purchase necessary items for their travels.

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She describes Baker as a place where change is resisted. She says, "There isn't even a Walmart in town, the kind of store where people can buy a lot of things. They have one in La Grande, Oregon, an hour's drive back down the road. People travel to La Grande to shop because they can't find a lot of things they need here. Baker is a town for children and for seniors. Young people have trouble getting jobs, and you can't find a lot of things to do or things you might want to have. It is, however, a good ski resort and has lots of history."

Carol Forsloff

LaDawn sees Baker as the kind of town that has some resistance to change, in that it doesn't even have a Walmart.

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Baker remains one of the small towns in the United States struggling with itself over economic, political and social change vs maintaining old ways and historic sites of interest for tourists. This is the conflict existing in the area of eastern Oregon, even as young people look for ways to move on as older residents are said to hope things remain as they are in familiar and predictable ways.