Tilikum is a Christian Summer Camp and Retreat Center nestled among hazelnut orchards and hillside vineyards of Newberg, Oregon. Since 1971, Tilikum has offered quality programs and camps for our guests. We are located only 45 minutes southwest of Portland and an hour northwest of Salem.
Tilikum is the end result of one family's faithfulness to God.
Russell Baker was born on March 21, 1908, to Ida and Harry Baker, who owned a dairy farm in the Chehalem Valley. Eventually Russell bought this farm, and the acquisition of it caused him to seek out his personal values and God's purpose for his farming life.
On October 12, 1962, the Columbus Day storm blew through western Oregon with hurricane-force winds. The Baker farm was hit especially hard. Irene Baker, Russell's wife watched from the house as the storm reduced the dairy barn and silo to rubble. The Baker's estimated losses were $40,000-$50,000 with no insurance to cover wind damage.
Russell thought he was financially finished. He wrote, "In meditating on what to do. I felt led to make a vow or covenant with the Lord...if He would bring me out of this mess, I would not only give a large part, but all." In the next few years, Russell did recover from the storm damage, and according to his promise, he began to look for ways to use his farm for God's work.
