Shortly after coming to Klamath County, Ore., in 1916, an unassuming miller, Judson 鈥淛udd鈥� Howard, developed a passion for exploring the lava bed caves just south of the Oregon-California state line.
Fearing that the more than 700 caves could be destroyed, Howard wrote letters pleading for their protection. He spent his spare time mapping the caves, using candles for light, and taking measurements with a compass. Many of the names he gave to the caves remain. When Howard explored the caves with friends, they climbed hand-held ropes down deep chimneys and left flour trails for finding their way back out.
To preserve the area鈥檚 history, Howard contacted Modoc Peter Schonchin to record his memories. As a child, Schonchin was with a band of Modocs who took refuge in the lava beds while under attack by the U.S. military in what鈥檚 known today as the Modoc War of 1872.
Howard鈥檚 efforts seeking protection for the caves were successful in 1925 when President Coolidge created the Lava Beds National Monument.
A present-day brass plaque near the park鈥檚 visitor center honors Howard as the 鈥淔ather鈥� of the monument.
Sources: "J.D.Howard Historical Marker." Historical Marker Database. Accessed 24 Apr. 2020. Path: Judson Howard Lava Beds National Monument; J.D. Howard Historical Marker; Howe, Carrol B. Frontier Stories of the Klamath Country. Carrol B. Howe, 1989, pp. 100-29; Juillerat, Lee. "Judson Dead 鈥淛udd鈥� Howard (1875-1961).鈥� Oregon Encyclopedia, Oregon Historical Society. https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/howard_judson_dean_judd_1875_1961_/#.XuvoRGhKiUk
