This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE (11-30-04)

All this talk of a centennial celebration takes me back over a hundred years ago to an event that has been forgotten in the annals of the history of this area.
It was on November 26 back in 1895 that it happened.
On that date, George Nurse, who was always a lover of horses, was injured by one of his horses as he attempted to stop a rampage by one of them. He died a short time later....he was 75.
First of all, he was the founder of the Klamath Falls we live in today. In the Spring of 1867 he left his post at Fort Klamath where he had a settler’s store....and got government permission to settle on a piece of land which would be located under the overpass that now crosses Main Street.
He had always been a lover of horses, and at one time was in partnership in a livery stable across from the present Baldwin Hotel with first H. M. Thatcher, and later with William Corpe. He later married the sister of his partner.
At one time he had two black Vermont colts in training at the Linkville Jockey Club racetrack located near the railroad yards and north of the present South Sixth Street.
His early trading was mainly with the Indians although what few white settlers there were in the area also patronized his little cabin.
Five years later the Modoc War broke out. Linkville was a community of about 40 people who prepared to defend themselves with an impromptu fort built on the hills near where the Baldwin Hotel is today. Fortunately they were not attacked, but the little community was host to first the soldiers who left there to attempt to return Captain Jack and his Modocs to the reservation and later gained a temporary fame as the point from which the Modoc War was reported to the nation by telegraph.
As the community grew Nurse provided land for such things as an early school, and also gave land to any businessman who would locate in the town, although they allowed little competition.
The town suffered setbacks. In 1874 they were authorized as Lake County and became the County Seat only to have it voted from under them the following year. It would be another eight year...1882 before it would become Klamath County.
In later 1883 Nurse sold all that he owned and purchased a ranch just outside Yreka. Several explanations have been given as to why he left the town he founded...but no proof has emerged. Some said he co-signed a note for a friend and was left holding the bag. Another is that he was angered that neither the Lake County nor Klamath County effort included him in any official capacity.
At any rate, the Yreka Journal of March 3, 1883 reported: Mr. George Nurse has commenced supplying our citizens with fresh milk every a.m. at the low price of six cents per quart.”
Today....no streets or other public areas are named for this founder of the city. At one time the City Council named the short street around Veterans Park as George Nurse Way, but that seems to have disappeared.
In 1967 a celebration was held honoring his memory..and a special plaque constructed near where his initial cabin was located.
That plaque stands today but is in an isolated position by the motel near the overpass. It is our feeling that this plaque should be moved over to the Veterans Park where he first built his Linkville Hotel.
At any rate.....as long as we’re thinking of some type of Centennial....let’s bring the plaque into public view and pay special tribute to the founder of our community.

            This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.