Capturing The Haunting Nostalgia Of ‘Abandoned Oregon,” Before It’s Too Late | Oregon Field Guide 

She is so very correct when she said "the people that remember these places and what happened there are fading" Thank you for this upload!!!

my mother had a photo of this old house on her living room wall when i was growing up. so glad to see it here in this video today.

I LOVE what she’s doing! I SOOOOO appreciate this, her time and attention to detail and the fact that she is HONORING these homes, the stories they carry within their walls and the people they provided shelter to...

My mum grew up on a ranch near this house and said she explored this house as a little girl and looked through the old suitcase in the last bit of the video. It had old magazines in it.

Hello. I am a lifelong Oregon resident. My Mother, 1920 - 1997. Was a lady. Grew up in Prineville at Uncle Haps ranch, near the Crooked River. Your story, brought back memories of mom.

I appreciate the encouragement of asking the property owners first.

Came across this as I sit in my lounge in Melbourne, Australia. About as far from Oregon as you can get. What a wonderful story. Even more incredible the elderly woman who lived there and has a photo from the 1920's. I'm surprised she wasn't more emotional tbh. I'm sure she could see in her mind running around as a child, playing in the yard, lying in bed upstairs on a warm summer evening as the static radio played downstairs a dance band or radio play from some far flung city she thought she'd never see. And then to see the ashes. Would have been nice to have seen her reaction.

How is it possible to feel nostalgia in a time period I wasn’t even born in?! so interesting!

Your photos put in the hands of a home builder, could bring back the history. Rebuild as they were originally built. Square nails and all. An off road living community museum.

I restored an old house in Oregon in the 1980s-90s, and I absolutely loved it. It was the same style as the one in this where the woman was showing the photographer around; built in 1892. I miss it as if it's haunting me. I remember every detail of how it was, though the current owner turned it into 3 apartments. At least he kept the look of the place.

This is to be an American, to learn from the American Experience. Thanks OPB PBS😎

As a third-generation Oregonian I can really connect with this story from my great-great-great- grandmothers stories that I used to hear as a child to even my own mothers stories of growing up with in a house with no electricity and no indoor plumbing so this video really hits home to me

The woman who spoke of churning butter as a child... Imagine that, a little girl doing her part to contribute to the familys breakfast, lunch and dinner. You want food? Grow it, feed it, collect it, churn it, butcher it, make it food. She's a great contribution to this story of a lifestyle unimaginable to almost any of us.

We are but a blip on the radar of time. Drive your life, don't just be a passenger.

My ancestors arrived in Oregon in the mid 1830s and lived in many of these "abandoned" areas. I want to thank the historians and historic photographers for valuing history. We have no future without it.

I myself am from Wisconsin, & we have quite a few old farmsteads. History is very cool thank you for documenting. I wouldn't tell locations either.

I admire you to no end I first came to photograph the Old Nelson place in 1986 a black and white taken with a 4x5 camera and was truly saddened by the loss of it by fire in 2018 our paths have crossed more than a few times Keep up the Historic work you do .

I enjoyed this video. But something about it makes me sad.

Ahh...i see buildings and places like this eastward of OR. Always makes me wonder of the life it had before...

I love the history and the beauty. I enjoyed this video very much.

I've "road tripped" all over Oregon, moreso East of the Cascades. It's been a wonderful experience and I know some of these buildings first hand. My time is almost up. I had fun.

I went to one of those old local schools. I lived out on a nearby farm, I could walk home to. Loved that school. Didn't realize how great we had it until the boiler broke one winter and they moved us into the town school. Talk about culture shock!

My hubby and I were driving back from Fossil to The Dalles, and watched that fire as it burned its away across the wheat fields, consuming all in its path. We had to drive through the choking smoke and could barely see the road to drive, and didn't know if we were going to make it through?! Seeing the wheat fields burning, and the farms going up in smoke, made me weep, for I had grown up in this country, and it was like losing a part of myself to see it burn. Thank you so much for doing what you do, recording our history. Our family came to Oregon on the Oregon Trail in 1850. My roots run deep in Oregon and Washington, and I thank you once again for capturing this. It was like a walk through another time.

Thank you so much for this history.

Beautiful, unique video Honoring the Beautiful past I love this stuff ,always brings Joy to my life especially living in my Grandparents homestead house built 1950 in Upper Michigan. Thank you for sharing your video.

OMG I’ve been on that Abandoned Oregon group for years. Someone took a photo of a barn not to far from my house right before the owners tore it down. I still miss that barn. Oregon has some beautiful very remote old buildings.

Thank you for shooting the beauty of Oregon and sharing it with the world !💋 From Portland Oregon 🇺🇸

I live in Southern Illinois. I have been saying for the last 15-20 years that I wish someone could go around and take pictures or video of the old barns built out of wood & if possible, speak with the owners & take down a little history about them. I see them sometimes painted red with white trim, other times I see them partly standing, a skeleton of what they once were. They are dissappearing fast, all across America & will be gone forever! I think they are beautiful. They are a part of America's history & helped farmers feed America. The newer pole barns we have that are made out of metal. They are nothing like the old ones. They lack character & personally. If they rust or fall down, I doubt anyone would care to give a second look! I am happy to see that there are people everywhere across America that feel the same way as I do. If someone was to write about the history of each place then place several photos by it. I think it would make a fantastic book that people would like to have & place on their coffee tables. These wood barns would be just too expensive to build nowadays. Once they're gone, they will be gone forever! You will hear people say..... "believe it or not, they used to build those out of wood & they were beautiful!"

Fascinating.............thank you for taking us back in time for a moment

I see the architectural geology of American history. So important to document this part of irreplaceable American life before its erased completely.

I live in a ghost town. I knew where there were two foundations of old stone homes. I use to take people to see these homes and others. I was unable to go to the old houses for several years. When I went back I was horrified to see that the stem walls had been torn down and the stones were scattered. I would dearly love to take people to see these treasures. I can't anymore in good conscious. Keep up the good work! Jim BCC AZ

It may not look as rustic , but many of these abandoned houses would stay standing a lot longer if they only had a roof and /or roof repair, I was fortunate to live on a 200 acre Farm in Forest Grove, Ore. Which had several structures with historic background,( some being moved on timbers across the valley floor in the mid-1900s, but the crown jewel- The AT Smith house is near completion in restoration. Built in 1854-56 it's the 2nd oldest structure in FG & is on the national register of historic places, I believe it is open to public and is well worth checking out , happy traipsing✌️🐾👣

i used to live in that town with the crush gas station in the late 1990's. Kent, Oregon.

I can't tell you how many tens of thousands of miles I've driven all over the west seeking out abandoned houses and buildings. It's a real obsession and as this video nicely shows, a really rewarding one to capture history before it's gone forever.

Sad to see. Beautiful countryside.

Also, my family is all oregon trail Homesteaders. And in fact, on my grandmother's side. The Demaris and Birdsong families had a homestead right under Steins pillar in the ocho forest😮

This was a nice watch while sipping on this coffee

Thank for sharing this with us. The only thing I would add is some history & stories of the places, but this is a beautiful piece.

Great to have people that appreciate the local history

I enjoyed this video very much, thank you!

Valuable stuff you have done. Thanks for all of it. I am a New Englander who drove through this part of Oregon once decades ago. Nostalgic, unique, lovely. Those settlers did their very best.

Brings back a lot of memories. Thank you for sharing.

Ya, that is just scrumptious to look at, can't get enough of these. Wish I had that drive to go photograph the way you are

It sure it beautiful out there. It's nice to see a person getting outside and appreciating older things. Get out and drive out beyond the cities and you will see our country in a whole different way.

Love this type of nostalgia. It makes my mind sore through time. Thanks! ❤

Thanks for saving these images. I feel bad for the house being burned to the ground. Safe journey's

Very cool work you do, it's beautiful!!

that was a lovely place

Well done, thanks for that! I appreciate your efforts.

WOW ! Great job. Thanks

I love how they were able to capture the sound of the wind so clearly just after the 6-minute mark, very nice touch to an already impressive production.

Love this......leaves such a warm feeling.😊

I drive by places like this all over these United States and her sentiments at the beginning of this video nails it. Even though I drive an 18 wheeler I'll search for somewhere to park and photograph them before they're gone. I love being a paid for the freedom of the road!

if one drives out in the country, in any state, once can find farm steads that have been abandoned. the houses and barns are slowing fading away and often the building are gone and all that is left are groves of trees! Sad indeed!

As a photographer and a lover of history, I Thoroughly enjoyed this short glimpse into the past of Oregon

What a shame these buildings haven’t been preserved. Why hasn’t the Oregon Historical Society stepped up to preserve these wonderful pieces of history?

This was amazing!!

I LOVE YOUR WORK AND THE HEART YOU PUT INTO IT. I'M SURE THAT WOMAN IS GLAD YOU FOUND HER TO SPEND AND SHARE FOR THE LAST TIME THE FOND MEMORIES MADE DURING IT'S EXISTENCE. THANK-YOU FOR CAPTURING THIS BEAUTIFUL PART OF HISTORICAL OREGON BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE.

I wo I’ll ld soooo love there!

I live in a 150 year old country school moved here in 1960’s from about 30 miles away. It was also used as a square dance hall before it was put in a cinder block full basement. Converted into a small single family 1970’s home. Now under transformation into a garden cottage home with 1800’s inspired kitchen. I’m also building a child’s fairly tale/history book on the home.

Wowzer ...my wife and i do the same thing ... And we dont tell eathe.. we go to Washington a lot also and Idaho... We travel a lot... Love this video wish we could share like this .... We have found lots of cool places and people and rocks... Love rocks.. anyway GOD bless you in your shurch.

Great job keep it up amazing 😍❤️🙏🏻

Beautiful video, documentation

One of the best videos ive seen, thank you

THANKYOU. Haunting, in a nice, if wistful way. so glad someone who lived there was able to visit and share too. Oregon's lucky, that part, that old places dry and get preserved longer. In New England and on coasts, abandoned places often rot away quicker.

Good job lady keep up the good work it's awesome that you're doing this

Thanks for catching that past one last time it really sucks that the wild fire took it away for good but your pictures carry it on

❤

Wow, Very Awesome

Stumbled on this video, love it, very interesting! People trash everything, it's awful! Thanks for posting!

2:00 I pass that old gas station every time I drive through Oregon. Such a neat spot

I got some beautiful shots of an old building next to a trainline years ago and the place was wattle and daub construction and you do worry about whether or not anyone else even cares....this vid was so good! Cheers Seano

Great story. I remember these when I was a kid as we would travel back home from California where our dad dragged us in his quest to improve our lot in life. I would always dream of living on one of those abandoned Farms. Many were still abandoned at that time as it was the 60s & 70s. I saw when I went again in the 90s the ones closer to the freeways in the largest cities had been bulldozed and developed. It broke my heart. They were a form of fantasy as well as history, fairy tales, you wondered of broken tales but still something a child could wonder about. My mom said many were lost during the Depression. The families moved on to a warmer climate like California. She said some while she was going to school during the war sat empty afterwards because maybe it was an elderly couple who sold out to the megacorp. They'd raised the child of their World War I son who's wife had died during the flu epidemic but their grandson went to war he didn't return. His death left the farm house with no one to care for it or love it. As the Farms were being snapped up into larger Mega corp plots the farm houses sat empty silent Testament to a time when families ran Farms. A time when you knew where your food came from & who grew it, what was sprayed on it, when it had been harvested because you were probably over there helping, whether it was in gathering the Harvest or feeding the men doing it. You might have even met your husband there like my grandmother did. They caught her in the picture the first day she ever met him he was on the threshing crew He was from a County next door & hired on for the season to make extra money. They had come to her father's Farm she was on the cooking crew. They have this picture taken of everyone there & it caught her in the picture looking at him it was love at first sight. He died just before their 60th wedding anniversary. The big farm had been sold years before but he still farmed 10 acres of alfalfa. I still dream of the ranch I had hoped to have but never got to. You could take the family off the farm but you couldn't take the farm out of the family.

Love your video!!!

I love looking at old things the smells and I can't help at my brain goes to the what. Was it like back then I? Almost can travel back I love it.

I'm very drawn to these places too sis 😃

Great capture. Ha abandoned Oregon got a shoutout.

Dream phptography career!! I see things in the same way. So nice to have a chance to visit and take photos with the lady who grew up in that house...

Thanks for sharing..I'm a fan of just driving with no Destination.

Danielle! Hope you are well and safe XOXO

Very cool.

As a girl, my brothers and sisters and I would explore through old abandoned farmhouses in my home state. There was a house here on 47 that I loved, was very sad when it finally collapsed.

Heck yeah I saw a lot of this on our trip when we went to Idaho Oregon and Washington

What a cool lady

There is one old building in Florida I have photographed for about 50 years. There are photos from a Kodak Instamatic, an Asai Pentax, slides, a Nikon, a digital camera, and now Cell phone photos. The old Wakasassa Store, camera technology, and I, have all aged together. Thanks for doing your part.

Inspiring and heartbreaking. I appreciate the photographers who document these places for history. Sadly, the pumps at the "Orange Crush" gas station have been parted out.

Gone but never forgotten

W o n d e r f u l... presentation. Thank you.

old abandoned houses like this are all over the Midwest in the country

That’s nuts! I’ve got my spine, I’ve got my Orange Crush.

Neat house, neat story. It really sucks that it burned down!

To be fair, that Nelson house isn't gone, not completely. Everything decays, enjoy the beauty of it, and appreciate the resilience of our creations in the midst of nature that wants to reclaim it. Those fires just sped up the inevitable is another way of looking at it, and now the remains of the house are a part of the next cycle of life.

As a builder I see the amount of work that went into these places with primitive tools. It's sad to see them in that light I think of all the things I've built that one day may suffer the same fate

Amen. Thank you oregonian... reach out if ever need insite to new adventures. I am nobody but I am Oregonian born and raised... from crystal caves amist volcanoes to hidden beaches lost at high tide and everything in between. I would love to share my knowledge and experience with someone who has mindset & tech ability to preserve it. god bless

We hunted Arrow heads and spear points, our best finds were right after a good rain. But work was to be done before we sat off to go looking, and darkness came upon us quickly, and Momma would ring a big dinner bell 4 times.. SUPPER TIME !!

I would love to see you take pictures in Jewell OR, most of it is gone but some of it is still here.

Great video, nice story board, I can tell that you put a ton of time into some of the screen shots. I have a lot of pictures too. I am sure that if I met you that we would be gone for days and days.

Tons of these over here in Washington State.

I notice you have a picture here of the Howard School outside of Prineville..I used to live near there and they used to keep it up. I hope it is not falling down now.

That moment at 6:02 when the wind begins whispering through the creaking boards. . .