Fred Phillips of Baker: Butcher, Rancher and Rural Credit Leader

Who Was Frederic A. Phillips?

Frederic Augustus Phillips (1869-1964) lived nearly a century and worked as a cattle trader, butcher, rancher and lender in eastern Oregon and Washington. The Hall of Great Westerners entry records his induction in 1967 and describes a career that moved from small trading to institution building.

Hard Early Years in Washington Territory

In 1887 Phillips moved to Washington Territory with his father and siblings. His father died in 1888, and Fred took responsibility for the family. The museum says the siblings endured food shortages and survived through their own work and occasional help from local Native Americans. Phillips became fluent in the Yakima and Umatilla languages.

From Cattle Trading to Butcher Shops

He first traded cattle with Native American communities, then ran a chain of butcher shops across eastern Oregon and Washington, and later moved into ranching. That route, from buying animals to selling meat to owning range, is a clear example of a rancher who learned the market before he learned the land.

Baker, Oregon, and the Cattlemen's Association

Around 1900 Phillips moved to Baker, Oregon. His first wife, Minnie, died of tuberculosis, and he later married Lula, who managed the household and sent the children to boarding school. He co-founded the Oregon Cattleman's Association. According to Oregon State University Extension, the association was founded in 1913 in Baker County by 12 individuals to advance the state cattle industry's economic, political and social interests.

Production Credit and the Depression

Phillips served as president of the Baker Production Credit Association, a government-supported lender for farmers during the Great Depression. The museum also says he helped establish the Production Credit Association nationwide. The sources do not describe the details of his role.

Context: Baker County and the Cattle Business

Baker County, in eastern Oregon, was where the Oregon Cattlemen's Association was founded in 1913, when Phillips had already lived in Baker for roughly a dozen years. The museum credits him as a co-founder, and the extension service history lists the group's goals as advancing the economic, political and social interests of Oregon's cattle industry.

The sources reviewed do not give the size of his ranch, the number of butcher shops, his dates for each move or the exact year he became president of the Baker Production Credit Association, so those details are left out rather than guessed.

Legacy

Phillips died in 1964 and was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1967. For context on how western ranching grew, see the Wikipedia hall overview, and for stories on farm.FM visit the ranching section or read a farm.FM story on Oregon cattle country.