Today

Who lives here now

A town fixing windows before winter. Twenty-seven apartments above a Main Street in repair. A rancher who had to send his steer out of the county to sell you a steak from it. The Tribe’s biologists back on the Lostine River. These are the county’s own accounts of ordinary life, from the records and from the people who were there.

For people who live here and want their town told straight. For the shopkeepers, nurses, teachers and ranchers who keep it going. For anyone deciding whether to come.

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The lawn at Juniper Jam
Brent Cheffings · 2026-09-05 · All rights reserved; published with the photographer’s permission · Image & source ↗
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Three to read first.

Wallowa’s combined city hall and fire station in September 2013, nine years before the hailstorm. This is a place photograph, not a damage or recovery photograph.
An atlas essay · Wallowa · August 2022 and its aftermath

After the hail

One night of hail, then a year of forms, contractors and a winter that would not wait.

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Enterprise’s downtown streetscape. Context photograph; the owner’s photographs of the EM&M itself are linked in the story.
An atlas essay · Enterprise · 1935–2026

The apartments above Main Street

Ninety years of one building, and the 27 homes still upstairs.

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Working land near Enterprise. Landscape context; this photograph is not identified as 6 Ranch or Carman Ranch.
An atlas essay · Wallowa Valley & Elgin · 2010–2012, with a 2026 source check

The long way home for Wallowa beef

Two ranches, three routes to a customer, and where the money ends up.

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More to read.

Original recordings · Connected to this page

Watch this part of the story.

All recordings
Places in this part of the story

The records behind it.

Places & map
One thing you could add

What makes this home for you?

The first of the 2046 questions is the simplest one. Answer it in a sentence or a page; nothing is published without your yes.

Add one thing
Keep going

Elsewhere in the atlas.

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