This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE

This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

It was late but very much appreciated.

I’m referring to the recent action by the city to rename the Linkville cemetery as a Pioneer cemetery, and to add a designation of George Nurse, founder of the community.

That cemetery, incidentally, was first located on the site where the Old Elks Club, and now a portion of the City Administration are located.

For George Nurse there is a plaque located off Main Street but pretty much hidden out of view because of foliage. A number of years ago the city renamed the portion of Klamath Avenue that runs around Veterans Park as George Nurse Way, but that seems to have disappeared.

Nurse was born on this day, June 7, 1820 in New York City. He was orphaned at two. Historically he appears in 1855 at the age of 35 in the gold fields of California, and again in 1863 at 43 hiring out to the military with his team of horses to pull stumps and clear the way for the road from the Fort site to Jacksonville. He then began a sutler’s store at the Fort mainly for the soldiers. He was in partnership with Alexander Miller in this venture.

In 1867 it appeared that the Fort might be closed, and again with Miller’s support he selected a site where the waters of Upper Klamath Lake exited into the Klamath River via a small stream. It was a favorite trading spot for the Indians of the area.

There he set up a trading post. There were a few settlers in the area, including Wendolen Nus who had set up a site several miles south along the Klamath River. Over the years the names Nuss and Nurse would be inter-mingled. Nuss was the first person killed in the outbreak of the Modoc War.

Nurse floated lumber down from the Fort’s mill and constructed a cabin for his store which he built in 1867. He became the proprietor of an area called Linkville. It consisted of 40 residents at the time of the Modoc War in 1872. In 1869 nurse built a bridge across the river at a cost of $1500. In 1874 the town was cut off from Jackson County and became Lake County, but Lakeview stole the county seat away.

By 1880 the town of Linkville contained about 250 people and Nurse helped launch an effort to form a new county, and the town became the county seat for Klamath County in 1882.

New leaders were taking over, and while the initial organizational meeting of Klamath County was held in his home….he was never named to any position of the government.

Whether that had a bearing on it or not, that was the same year that Nurse, now 62 years old, sold all that he owned in then Klamath County, purchased a ranch just outside Yreka and left the area either late in 1882 or early in 1883.

He died there on November 26, 1895 at the age of 75 as a result of injuries suffered when he attempted to part two horses who were fighting.

More details on this founder of Klamath Falls can be read in my newest historical volume “Great Moments in Klamath History” available at the Klamath County Museum and here at our studios on Oregon Avenue.

So….we were greatly pleased to see him given further honors, appropriately at the Linkville Pioneer Cemetery.

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

Text Box:
This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE.

It was late but very much appreciated.
             I’m referring to the recent action by the city to rename the Linkville cemetery as a Pioneer cemetery, and to add a designation of George Nurse, founder of the community.
             That cemetery, incidentally, was first located on the site where the Old Elks Club, and now a portion of the City Administration are located.
             For George Nurse there is a plaque located off Main Street but pretty much hidden out of view because of foliage.   A number of years ago the city renamed the portion of Klamath Avenue that runs around Veterans Park as George Nurse Way, but that seems to have disappeared.
Nurse was born on this day, June 7, 1820 in New York City. He was orphaned at two. Historically he appears in 1855 at the age of 35 in the gold fields of California, and again in 1863 at 43 hiring out to the military with his team of horses to pull stumps and clear the way for the road from the Fort site to Jacksonville.    He then began a sutler’s store at the Fort mainly for the soldiers. He was in partnership with Alexander Miller in this venture.
In 1867 it appeared that the Fort might be closed, and again with Miller’s support he selected a site where the waters of Upper Klamath Lake exited into the Klamath River via a small stream. It was a favorite trading spot for the Indians of the area.
There he set up a trading post. There were a few settlers in the area, including Wendolen Nus who had set up a site several miles south along the Klamath River. Over the years the names Nuss and Nurse would be inter-mingled. Nuss was the first person killed in the outbreak of the Modoc War.
Nurse floated lumber down from the Fort’s mill and constructed a cabin for his store which he built in 1867. He became the proprietor of an area called Linkville. It consisted of 40 residents at the time of the Modoc War in 1872.    In 1869 nurse built a bridge across the river at a cost of $1500. In 1874 the town was cut off from Jackson County and became Lake County, but Lakeview stole the county seat away.
             By 1880 the town of Linkville contained about 250 people and Nurse helped launch an effort to form a new county, and the town became the county seat for Klamath County in 1882.
             New leaders were taking over, and while the initial organizational meeting of Klamath County was held in his home….he was never named to any position of the government.
             Whether that had a bearing on it or not, that was the same year that Nurse, now 62 years old, sold all that he owned in then Klamath County, purchased a ranch just outside Yreka and left the area either late in 1882 or early in 1883.
He died there on November 26, 1895 at the age of 75 as a result of injuries suffered when he attempted to part two horses who were fighting.
More details on this founder of Klamath Falls can be read in my newest historical volume “Great Moments in Klamath History” available at the Klamath County Museum and here at our studios on Oregon Avenue.
So….we were greatly pleased to see him given further honors, appropriately at the Linkville Pioneer Cemetery.
This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.