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HISTORY
Modoc County was formed
when Governor Newton Booth signed an Act of the California
Legislature on February 17, 1874. Land for the county was taken from
the eastern part of Siskiyou County.
The county derives its name from the Native American Modoc people,
who lived at the Klamath River headwaters. One historian suggests
that the word modoc means "the head of the river." Another states
that the word is derived from the Klamath word moatakni meaning
"southerners," i.e., the people living south of the Klamath tribe.
The county was home to three major tribal groups, the Modoc, the
Achumawi (or Pit River), and the Paiute. The Modoc were forcibly
moved first to Oregon, and then to Oklahoma, while the Achumawi and
Paiute were allowed to remain.
Captain Jack's Stronghold
Mule Deer in Modoc CountyThe Modoc War (or Lava Beds War) of 1872–73
brought worldwide recognition to Modoc during its protracted battles
when over 500 of US Army soldiers were unable to overtake less than
55 Modoc warriors who hid themselves in the lava tubes that are now
the Lava Beds National Monument. The War began after the American
government made a pretense of purchasing the territory belonging to
the Modoc people from the Klamath people, and forced the Modoc
people to move to the Klamath Reservation in Oregon. Some Modoc
people left the reservation, because the Klamath people made it
clear that the Modoc were not welcome there. A companion of Captain
Jack shot General Edward Canby at a peacemaking session, leading to
the siege at Captain Jack's Stronghold. Native Americans were
unfamiliar with siege warfare, and the Modoc surrendered only after
they were weakened by starvation.
Settlement of the county began in earnest in the 1870s, with the
timber, gold, agriculture, and railroad industries bringing most of
the settlers into the area. The county was a crossroads for the
Lassen Applegate Trail which brought settlers north from Nevada to
the Oregon Trail and south to trails leading into California's
central valley. Early settlers included the Dorris, Belli, Essex,
Scherer, Trumbo, Flournoy, and Campbell families.
Several thousand acres just south of Newell served as the temporary
exile for thousands of Japanese-American citizens during World War
II at the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, a Japanese American
internment camp. A historical marker still stands along California
State Route 139 in Newell. Tule Lake was the largest of the
"segregation camps." On November 8, 2005 Senator Dianne Feinstein
called for the camp to be designated a National Historic Landmark.
(www.en.wikipedia.org)
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Cities & Towns:
Adin
Alturas
Canby
Cedarville
Davis Creek
Day
Eagleville
Ft. Bidwell
Lake City
Likely
Lookout
Newell
New Pine Creek
Stronghold
Tionesta
Vital Records Resources
County Courthouse
PO Box 130
Alturas, CA 96101-0130
Phone: (530) 233-6200
Fax: (530) 233-2434
County Seat:
Alturas
Year Organized:
1874
Square Miles:
3,944
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Cemetery Locations:
Adin Cemetery
Alturas Cemetery
Cedarville Cemetery
Eagleville Cemetery
Indian Cemetery
Indian Cemetery
Indian Cemetery
Lake City Cemetery
Likely Cemetery
Willow Ranch Cemetery
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Online Data
(Coming soon) |
| Biographies |
Births |
Cemeteries |
| Census |
Deaths |
History |
| Marriages |
Military |
Obituaries |
| Probate |
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Archives Locations
National Archives - San Francisco
1000 Commodore Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066-2350
Library Locations
Adin Station Library
Cedarville Library
Davis Creek Library
Lookout Library
Modoc County Library
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