Bruce, not sure whether there's a connection or not, but I just happened to take this picture on a recent trip to Oregon. Are you sure Alvin's father died in Wasco county, and not the town of Wasco in Sherman county? This is a headstone that caught my eye in the Wasco Methodist Cemetery just outside of Wasco. It's for an Edwin Baxter, husband of Emma T. Baxter. It reads: "Edwin Baxter / Husband of Emma T. Baxter / Born June 18th, 1850 / Died Sept. 22nd, 1885 / We saw not the angels who met him there / The gates of the city we could not see / Over the river, over the river / My darling stands waiting to welcome"
Edwin was only 35 when he died. I did a quick search of the 1900 census and found an Alvin Baxter residing with his mother Emma and stepfather William Siscel in Portland. If you think this is a possibility I can send the photo file. I have no additional information or connection to the Baxter family.
Gregg