The Charles E. Nelson farmhouse has long looked a little lost, even in tiny Dufur. It sat, a dot surrounded by a dirt field, with just two scraggly trees adding color to the monochromatic scene.

The old gray structure had steep roofs punctuated by wind and neglect. Some people believe the abandoned house in Wasco County was one of the most photographed and forlorn in Oregon.

On Tuesday, the lonely farmhouse became a victim of the Substation wildfire, which has burned some 36,000 acres southeast of The Dalles and forced people to evacuate for safety.

Now, only an unused windmill remains that once served the farming family.

John Clement of Kennewick, Washington, has been photographing the Nelson house over the seasons.

He says he first saw the isolated farm in the early 1980s when he was traveling back roads between Bend and his home in southeastern Washington.

"I took a shot from my van window thinking I would come back at some point," he recalls.

More than three decades later, he saw the place again while teaching a photo seminar near Dufur.

The setting reminded him of Dust Bowl images. He created a three-shot, vertical panorama and named his photo "Desolation." This photo, taken in late September 2012, launched his series.



He made a point to visit the location several times each year to see how it changed over the seasons. "The winter was the hardest because I wanted blizzard-type conditions," he says. "I watch the weather constantly for opportunities to capture what I see in my mind's eye."

The time was right in January 2015 when he learned a Pacific winter storm was moving into the Northwest and it was predicted to hit Dufur around 2 a.m.

He drove to The Dalles, checked into a hotel and waited.

Remarkably, the blizzard started as predicted and by daybreak it was "snowing and blowing," he recalls.



He was the first to drive the road to the old Nelson farm. The powdery snow was up to 10 inches deep and the wind was gusting to 30 mph. "Exactly what I was hoping for," he says.



Clement, who has been photographing the Northwest Drylands for more than 40 years, laments the home's destruction.

"It's sad as I was planning another summer shoot this week," he says, "but now I'll have to make the one I have do."

—Janet Eastman | 503-799-8739

jeastman@oregonian.com