A Town on Fire: The Copperfield Affair of 1914

Abstract

In 1914, Copperfield, Oregon was militarily occupied by order of the governor, Oswald West. Its town government was deposed, the city officials were arrested, and the town's saloons were closed and all liquor and gambling devices were seized. The town, previous to Governor West's interdiction, had seen a breakdown into violence and arson between two competing saloon cliques. The resulting martial law of Copperfield and subsequent court battles between the governor and Copperfield's saloonkeepers would become known as the Copperfield Affair. 2 rapidly expanding network of mining communities all across Baker County. The country surrounding Copperfield was rough. At an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet, and located near the Wallowas, reaching Copperfield could be quite difficult. A rail line to Copperfield would not be completed until 1909. The nearest town to Copperfield was Homestead, approximately four miles away. The county capital of Baker City was seventy miles, as the crow flies, from Copperfield, but travel to Copperfield from the county capital often involved a circuitous route through rough terrain. Who started Copperfield is a matter of some debate. An April 6, 1907 Oregon Daily Journal article credits two women, a "Mesdames Day and Knapp of Pine Valley," with being the pioneers of Copperfield by constructing the first major building, the Hotel Magpie, at the site. 1 Another version has several Baker City businessmen joining together to form the Eastern Oregon Investment Company. The company then purchased the Vaughn homestead on which the future town site would exist, for $10,000. 2 Whatever the case, the Copperfield Townsite Corporation is the name on the deed outlining the plat of Copperfield on March 31, 1907. 3 Despite its name, Copperfield was not home to any copper deposits, or much of anything for that matter. The land was relatively good for grazing cattle, but other than that, there would appear to be nothing to attract the attention it did in 1907. What would eventually attract thousands to the town was its geography. The oxbow near the future town site was the real natural resource of Copperfield. A few years earlier, a utility company out