The construction of the theatre was completed in 1899, and in 1912, The Orpheum was established in Baker City, Oregon. Under the management of AB Hager, it started out as a vaudeville theatre, with exhibitions like travelling shows and theatre performances.
In about 1917 the theater was completely remodeled and a second story added to the building. It operated as a motion picture theater for many years under the ownership of those including AB Hager, J.P. Cotter, the Burks, Guy Haselton and then the Buckmillers. Key features included a large balcony and a CinemaScope screen. The theatre offered showing of silent films, and even “talkies” into the 50s.
Things got kind of rough for the Orpheum during the 40s. In September of 1943, the theater caught fire. After the fire, the theater was boarded up and left as it was during World War II. According to locals, it was used as a hideout by some individuals.
However, efforts were still made to rebuild, and in 1948, it reopened as the Baker Theatre under the ownership of Ted Gamble. Less than a decade later, it was forced to close due to the competition from TVs and drive-in theaters. In 1964 the building was remodeled to become a hardware store.
In 2016, a project to restore the Orpehum Theatre was started after resident David Burris bought and donated the building to Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre. Once construction is completed, the new theatre will be used for things like local performances and film festivals. It’s new name will be the Baker Orpheum.
