Baker City Hall dates back to 1903, built out of tuff stone, which is compressed volcanic ash.

The Geiser Grand Hotel was hardly grand for its first 105 years. Opened in 1889, it went through many incarnations as a place for bawdy, wild times well into the 1980s. A major renovation turned the Geiser Grand Hotel from a dilapidated eyesore into Baker City's most recognizable landmark.

A festive Christmas tree lights the dining room at the Geiser Grand Hotel. The stained glass ceiling above is a re-creation based on research of what was likely there when the Geiser originally opened in 1889.

Denny Grosse, whose daughter owns the Geiser Grand, leads lively tours of the historic hotel. She's never seen the hotel's famous ghost, Grandma Annabel, who reportedly only seeks out women to haunt late at night.

Rob Thomas took over his cattle ranch along the Powder River from his father, who he says inspired him to always love what he does. Thomas says there's a certain camaraderie among ranchers, miners and farmers in the area. "We're all doing something, working something from the ground. What we have in common is that we really want to be out there," says Thomas.

Original ruts from the pioneer wagon trains of 1840 to 1860 are still visible outside Baker City just below the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

Pioneer families who moved west on the Oregon Trail crammed everything they owned into covered wagons for the long journey west. Old-style wagons are on display at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

Seven generations of the Warner family have lived in Baker County. Fred Warner, 86, represents the fourth. He and his family are ranchers. He says he's fascinated with his family history here and enjoyed learning about his ancestors who settled in Baker County after walking the Oregon Trail. He says he sees tourism as one way to help diversify the county's economy.

Jenny Mowe bakes sweets, raises a daughter and coaches the varsity girls Baker High basketball team. She played basketball at University of Oregon, Portland Fire and overseas. She married a Baker City native. "This is a booming metropolis compared to where I'm from," she says. Mowe is originally from Power, Oregon. She bakes for local shops and does catering, but doesn't want to open a full-time cafe. She says that would take too much time. Amy Young works for Mowe on the side. She's also a farmer raising chickens, pigs and vegetables to store in the cellar.

Former police chief Jim Tomlinson and Betty's Books owner Carolyn Kulog help children learn to read. As part of a joint project called Read Everyday and Learn, they gave 2,000 books to area children last year. In addition, 40 adults volunteered to read to kids in schools four days a week throughout the school year.

Barbara and Paul McNeil have lived in New York City, San Francisco and Portland, but they wanted to find a small town. They spent four years looking at 100 small Oregon towns until they found a cafe for sale on Craigslist in Baker City a couple of years ago. It was love at first sight. Six weeks later they were moving into what is now the Zephyr Cafe.

Andrew Ferns says, "I was voted most likely never to return to this town. As a young kid growing up in a small town where there's not a whole lot to do, I really didn't enjoy it so much." He came back for his family and was pleased to find a new restaurant wanted the skills he developed in restaurant kitchens along the West Coast. On his return he says, "It was a shock to me how much this place had changed. Growing up here it was never an artistic or food-oriented place. 'Keystone Country' is what we used to call it. Everyone drank Keystone beer. It was a country town. Now it's become something else that I personally never expected it to become. I feel pretty blessed to be able to do the things I do here and have it well received."

Alyssa Peterson and her husband Davey appreciate both fine art and great chocolate. They went into business for both. The Petersons' Gallery and Chocolatier opened a year ago. "We had some doubts about doing this, but we were full of bravado,” says Alyssa. Both she and her husband grew up in Baker City, and they really wanted to find a way to return here after college and make a living. Alyssa says they've been pleasantly surprised at the success of the business so far.

The Short Term Gallery was originally only supposed to be open for a few weeks. But the gallery was so successful after a few weeks, the operators decided to find ways to keep it open. Several local artists show their work in the space.

Little Pig is one of three drive-in restaurants that date back to the 1950s in Baker City. However, this one has been transformed into a cafe and do-it-yourself art space.

Erin Hansen is the one who converted a local icon — The Little Pig — into a paint-your-own ceramics shop, which also served coffee on the side. Her customers kept asking her for food, too. "I listened to the customers. I do what I'm told," she laughs. Now she's got a cafe in the same space and is pleased with the steady growth of her business.

Another of Baker City's '50s-era drive-ins shares a name similar to the famous California chain.

In & Out Hamburger Assistant Manager Dustin Lethlean has worked here for 10 years. It's a family-owned business which he says has won two court battles against the famous California chain with a similar name. "Baker City's a nice town," he says. "I just wish there were more job opportunities."

In 1909 the Carnegie Library opened in Baker City. In 1971, the Crossroads Art Center moved into the space. One of its most popular programs is the humorous annual Salt Lick art exhibit, crafted by the tongues of cattle, not human artists.

Ginger Savage is the enthusiastic executive director of the Crossroads Art Center.

Downtown is designed for sitting, but few take the opportunity when it snows.

Baker City has turned history into a tourist attraction, and many of its historic downtown buildings feature murals.

History seeps from every pore of downtown Baker City buildings.

On block after block in downtown Baker City, signs mark different designations on the Historic Register.

Locals boast that Baker City is home to the largest intact historic downtown streetscape in the American West. More than 100 buildings are on the Historic Register.

This upstairs floor of a new gallery was reportedly once a well-known brothel in downtown Baker City. Artist Robert Anders moved to town one year ago and renovated the downstairs for his gallery. Like several Baker City business owners, he's now renovating the top level to serve as a residence. Anders and his wife love the outdoors and the feel of the downtown, and this kind of business was simply much more viable than in other communities. "The rents are low, and the sky is blue," says Anders.

The snow-covered Elkhorn Mountains sit next door, beckoning skiers to the Anthony Lakes ski area.

Gold mining built Baker County, and the Sumpter Valley Dredge serves as the most visible reminder of this history. It operated on the Powder River until 1954.

The Powder River fed the region's gold mines for a century. Today it meanders lazily out of the mountains and right through downtown Baker City.

Baker City's giant Christmas tree is so large, it fills one downtown street.

Beverly Calder moved to Baker city in 1993, opened a wine and kitchen store in 1997 and has served on the Baker City Council. Her store, Bella, has done so well she's opened a branch in La Grande. "It's the most fertile place I've ever lived," she says. "You can do anything here. It's not easy. But you can do it."

Dean Simonson needed something to do after serving in the Navy. "It's easier to start a business than find a job," Simonson says. So he opened Premium Gifts on Main Street. When he traveled during his military years he says he'd ask someone for directions in a big city like Los Angeles and "people would just stare at you." He says he likes how nice people are here.

Cynthia Ortiz has lived in Baker City since the age of 2 and now works as a waitress in her parents' restaurant, Delicioso. "I'm used to small-town life," says Ortiz. "There's no crime, my friends are all here, though there's not much to do here and they roll up the sidewalks at 7pm."

Fertile farmland sits surrounded by mountains in Baker Valley. Many area farms grow potatoes, alfalfa and mint in rotation.

The Elkhorn Mountains sit closest to the south side of Baker Valley. As one resident said, "All roads out of Baker City run uphill."