Marshall Richmond has traveled the nation working heavy construction. He has been in Lakeview for eight years, and never pictured being there for so long. But a severe blood disease has left Richmond's wife bedridden. It's been an eight-year battle that brought them closer together. "It has united us on what we believe in and wanted to do... I'm thankful for the way things are."
John Rosman
Downtown Lakeview
John Rosman
For Sue Somers, there's no better place than Lakeview. "I suffer from agoraphobia... and this town opened its arms to me, telling me, 'You're going to be safe here.' " Somers lives with her partner/caregiver, Guy Lyons. Although Lyons takes care of Somers on behalf of the state, he explains, "We have a very symbiotic relationship." Somers agrees and adds, "With a once-a-year blowout."
John Rosman
Inside the Collins Sawmill
John Rosman
Triston Dooley took a turn too tight on his 3-wheeler and broke his back. A year later, Dooley was back on his 3-wheeler. "It took three people to strap me in," Dooley remembers. "It was the best thing I ever did." Being paralyzed has given him a different outlook on life and a different pace. "It slowed me down. I was living a pretty wild life... It has made me appreciate the little things."
John Rosman
Hot Springs
John Rosman
Lakeview Sign
John Rosman
"It's a tough place to find a job," says Charlie Deidrich. Every other day, Diedrich goes to different businesses in town looking for "odd jobs" and sometimes has to make money by "selling stuff I own." From diapers to food, he can't imagine living in Lakeview without unemployment and food stamps. "You couldn't live here. No way. Rent's expensive, unless you want a broken house."
John Rosman
Barn off of highway
John Rosman
"I love the song of the meadow lark. It's just gorgeous." Nan can hear the meadow larks all year round from her window. Beyond wildlife, Nan's other deep passion is the Bible. Religion and ecology merge when she is in Lakeview's outdoors; she reminisces about snowshoeing in the winter, across "God's jeweled earth." But to Nan, the greatest thing about Lakeview isn't the outdoors; it's the people.
The town of Lakeview sits a mere 15 miles from the California border in south-central Oregon. Residents can drive to Reno, Nevada in four hours — half the time it takes to get to Portland.
In the heart of what's known as the Oregon Outback, surrounding the 2,500 person town, is a stark landscape home to mountains, prairies and a relentless wind. And standing tall at 4,800 feet above sea level, Lakeview is the tallest town in Oregon.
View the slideshow above to see Lakeview's rugged landscape and learn more about the people who live there.
More to Explore
Our Town: Lakeview
Listen: Live from the Eagle's Nest in downtown Lakeview, Think Out Loud discussed everything from the economic boom-and-bust of a pipeline built there to the realities of dating in small town.
