Modoc War tour offered
The location of a rocky ford on Lost River near Merrill is among the stops planned for a tour of Modoc Indian War sites on Nov. 12.
The following is a press release from the Klamath County Museum.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Klamath County Museum on Nov. 12 will offer an auto tour of historic sites associated with the Modoc Indian War of 1872-73.
This month marks the 150th anniversary of the war’s outbreak.
A car caravan will form in Merrill, then trace the route taken by Modoc warrior Hooka Jim following the war’s first battle. Hooka Jim’s band of warriors killed several men and boys on ranches scattered along the shore of what was then Tule Lake.
The tour, co-sponsored by the Malin Historical Society, will include stops where some of the killings occurred.
“There were many factors that led up to the outbreak of violence, and this tour gives people a chance to hear the story while seeing the locations where events occurred,” said museum director Todd Kepple.
The auto tour is free, but space is limited and reservations are required. To obtain details or make reservations, contact the Klamath County Museum at (541) 882-1000.
The Modoc Indian War claimed at least 80 lives over the course of several months in 1872-73. The final deaths occurred on Oct. 3, 1873, with the execution of four Modoc warriors at Fort Klamath, though many Modocs perished during their exile to Indian Territory after the war.
Additional programs to examine the history of the Modoc Indian War are being planned by the Lava Beds National Monument in cooperation with local heritage organizations, and will be announced in the coming weeks.
