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FeedWhere the Old West Still Lives: Modoc County
Most Californians have never traveled to the four corners of their state, at least three of them, anyway. One corner of California is actually pretty busy and many of us have been there. That's the southwest corner that consists of the San Diego metropolitan region. But the other three are anything but overrun, especially the northeast corner that rubs borders with Nevada and Oregon. This is the place where Old West still lives. Modoc County.
Modoc County has about 9,000 people and just one stoplight that blinks red on and off in the county seat of Alturas. It's a big, broad and rugged territory where cattle outnumber people, where the wide-open landscape evokes Wyoming more than California and where rough mountains climb to sensational views of a Surprise Valley.
Modoc County is about seven hours away and 120 years back from the Bay Area. Travel north to Redding on Interstate 5 (don't miss the Sundial Bridge) and then northeast on State Highway 299 with Mt. Shasta looming on your left and Mt. Lassen luminous to the south. After Burney Falls (well worth a stop) a bit you pass through a time warp and into the nineteenth century in Adin, the first little town in Modoc. Onward through Alturas and over the majestic Warner mountains and you find yourself in the fine little community of Cedarville in the heart of lush Surprise Valley and at the edge of the Great Basin.
Nevada's northern desert is just to the east. To the north are the remote reaches of southern and eastern Oregon. This is one of the emptiest and least traveled quarters in the contiguous 48 states. In the early days of America's western expansion, people by the thousands passed through here in covered wagons heading for the promised land. The deeps ruts left by the wagon wheels can still be found carved into the unforgiving land.
The old west seems very much alive in Modoc County, a world away in our own home state. You can see it on video by going to my website, www.OpenRoad.TV. Then, go see it for yourself.
Posted at 10:56 AM in Doug McConnell’s OpenRoad.TV Tips | Permalink
Reader Comments:
We loved your article on Modoc County! And it's true that "The old west seems very much alive" in our corner of this wonderful country. It's near where we decided to launch our project known as "The Old Yella Dog Ranch and Cattle Co.", but just over the state line east of Cedarville!
Six couples joined forces to buy some land and break ground a few years back to develop an 1880's working guest ranch in Vya, Nevada--even more "old west" than Modoc. It's our goal to preserve American Cowboy history and the often overlooked Nevada Ranching culture, far from the noisey crowds!
Take a gander at our website (www.oldyelladogranch.com), then mosey on over for a peaceful stay in our ranch house! We'd love to tell you our story when you have the time!
Linda "Parker Dantry" Walters, Marketing Director
Jon "Colonel" Walters, Managing Member
Comstock Compadres, LLC
Highway 34 near Highway 8A
775 267 2930 Business Phone
(when we can find a signal!)
Major Modoc County Interagency pot raid comes up empty
by Douglas Peetsch
7-23-2009
Klamath Falls, OR (all permissions granted if unmodified)
On 7-15-2009 The Modoc County Interagency Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant on the
40 acre farm east of Bonanza owned by Douglas Peetsch looking for a major marijuana grow operation.
They came with the intent of seizing the 40 acre remote property according to the Warrant which was issued by Modoc County Superior Court Judge David A. Mason based on sworn under oath facts and testimony provided by Chief Deputy Stacy L. Callaghan of the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office.
A dozen or more Officers from Federal, State and County Agency’s swarmed the sleepy little farm in military fashion. Douglas Peetsch (age 50,Kfalls, who is also a licensed Oregon Medical Marijuana Program grower for a quadriplegic patient) and his two guests who were camping there for the summer are Jackie Fletcher (age 45, Kfalls) and Thomas Valdez (age 60, Kfalls) leader of the longtime local country band Mile Post 3, were the only people on the property.
Thomas was detained in cuffs for about 5 hours in 100+ degree heat without water as he was repeatedly called a liar and a criminal by 5 or so deputies that had surprised him and all had their rifles pointed at his chest while telling him “you look beautiful in my sights” Thomas reported.
Jackie was arrested and cuffed at the front gate as they swarmed her there after returning from a trip to town for food.
Douglas Peetsch was arrested at the front gate an hour later as he was coming back from town as well. He was not informed of why they were there or why he was being arrested and never did see the search warrant before they invaded the property and all buildings looking for marijuana growing operations.
Peetsch was then booked into the Modoc County Jail and held for 6 days. He was given no paperwork of any kind and no date for a court hearing was known on the day of arrest.
Jackie and Thomas reported they were forced to leave the property for 24 hours until an out of the area bomb squad could come in and defuse a grenade paper weight that the deputies had found in Peetsch’s trailer on a table. The Deputies were unable to tell if the grenade was real or a novelty. They also cut the lock off of an unlocked gate to gain access to Peetsch’s property.
There were no marijuana plants found after an exhaustive double search of the property in the 100 degree heat. 3 single shot break open farm shotguns (12ga, 20ga, 410ga) and a 22 rifle were seized. All ammunition was seized as well. A few grams of marijuana were found in various small pill bottles scattered around inside the trailer. They also seized a night vision monocular and paperwork pertaining to road permits with the Forest Service. A few misc pills were also seized. A quantity of “Alien Embassy” stickers were also seized.
Peetsch was in the end charged with Felon in possession of a firearm, Felon in possession of ammunition and possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana. The felony being referred to by these authorities is a 1982 conviction of criminal mischief for backing his pickup into the Forest Service Ranger Station office in Lowell , Ore in a permit dispute and another 1988 felony for having 2 seed trays with marijuana seedlings in them. Jackie and Thomas were never charged with anything and released. All involved even the dogs were traumatized by the experience and all agreed they pray no American ever has to go through such an ordeal especially if they have children.