Judson Dean Howard

[1] He was a man of small build, standing only 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) tall and weighing 130 pounds (59 kg).

[3] He found a job as a miller in Klamath Basin in 1916, and it was at this time he first came across the lava beds that would later form the monument.

In those early years, Howard often had to crawl on his hands and knees through dense stands of mountain mahogany.

[3] Howard's perceived need to preserve the lava tubes and the area's other geological features was a major reason why he vigorously pushed for a federally protected status.

"[1] Howard's campaign was successful, as Lava Beds National Monument was signed into existence by President Calvin Coolidge on November 21, 1925.

It reads: "He owned no car nor house, yet spent much of his life studying the Lava Beds area, walking along the shore of Tule Lake from the town of Merrill.

His continuous pressure on Forest Service officials contributed significantly to the establishment of the monument on November 21, 1925.

Judd was born at Fort Atkinson, Iowa, on January 9, 1875, and died in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on December 15, 1961.

J. D. Howard plaque near Mushpot Cave