1892 Map of Modoc Lava Bed

About this map

Modoc Lava Bed defines this landscape in the late nineteenth century, spanning the borderlands where Northern California meets Oregon. Surveyors Mark B. Kerr and Eugene Ricksecker documented a terrain dominated by volcanic features, including the Ice Cave, Cinder Cone, and the prominent peaks of Mt Hoffmann and Glass Mt. The presence of the Modoc Rifle Pit near Rhett Lake serves as a stark reminder of the regional conflicts that occurred only a decade prior to this survey. Settlement is concentrated in the river valleys to the south and east, with the communities of Bieber, Pittville, and Burgettville established along the Pit River and Fall River. To the north, the expansive waters of Little Klamath Lake and Clear Lake provide contrast to the arid lava ridges, while isolated outposts like Cornell and Lookout mark the early stages of permanent ranching and commerce in the region.