[10] This led to the Modoc War of 1872–1873, which was a hugely expensive campaign for the US Cavalry, costing an estimated $500,000, the equivalent of over $8 million in 2000.

[12] The first non-Indigenous settler is considered to have been Wallace Baldwin, a 19-year-old civilian who drove fifty head of horses in the valley in 1852.

[13] In 1867, George Nurse, named the small settlement "Linkville", because of Link River north of Lake Ewauna.

The Klamath Reclamation Project began in 1906 to drain marshland and move water to allow for agriculture.

In May 1945, about 30 miles (48 km) east of Klamath Falls, (near Bly, Oregon) a Japanese Fu-Go balloon bomb killed a woman and five children on a church outing.

With the arrival of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in 1909, Klamath Falls grew quickly from a few hundred to several thousand.

Dozens of lumber mills cut fir and pine lumber, and the industry flourished until the late 1980s when the northern spotted owl and other endangered species were driving forces in changing western forest policy.

[16] Many downtown buildings, including the county courthouse and the former Sacred Heart Academy and Convent, were damaged or destroyed, and two people were killed.

The Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker were listed on the Federal Endangered Species List in 1988, and when drought struck in 2001, a panel of scientists stated that further diversion of water for agriculture would be detrimental to these species, which reside in the Upper Klamath Lake, as well as to the protected Coho salmon which spawn in the Klamath River.

Many protests by farmers and citizens culminated in a "Bucket Brigade"[17] on Main Street May 7, 2001, in Klamath Falls.

Such universal criticism resulted in a new plan implemented in early 2002 to resume irrigation to farmers.

[18] Dwindling salmon numbers have practically shut down the fishing industry in the region and caused over $60m in disaster aid being given to fishermen to offset losses.

As much as 90% of the Trinity's water, which would otherwise flow into the Klamath and out to sea, instead rushes south toward California's thirsty center.

[18] According to a National Academy of Sciences report of October 22, 2003, limiting irrigation water did little if anything to help endangered fish and may have hurt the populations.

These farmers have ties to the Ammon Bundy People's Rights organization[21] and are preparing for a potential standoff situation with the government.

[26] Klamath Falls is known as "Oregon's City of Sunshine" because the area enjoys 300 days of sun per year.

Using the 0 °C (32 °F) isotherm preferred by some climatologists, Klamath Falls is a Dsb climate, often described as warm summer humid continental.

Although it is not arid or semi-arid, total precipitation is still low, at 13.41 inches (340.6 mm) per year, due to Klamath Falls being in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to the west.

Klamath Falls is located on the Pacific Flyway, and waterfowl, raptors, and American white pelican have been seen.

The mayor, who is nonpartisan and serves a term of four years, presides over all city council meetings.

[43] For the purpose of representation in the state legislature, Klamath Falls is located in the 28th Senate district, represented by Republican Dennis Linthicum, and in the 56th House district, represented by Republican E. Werner Reschke.

Federally, Klamath Falls is located in Oregon's 2nd congressional district, which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+10[44] and is represented by Republican Cliff Bentz.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, serves Klamath Falls station, located on a route originally built by the Southern Pacific Railroad – operating its Coast Starlight daily in both directions between Seattle, Washington and Los Angeles, California.

Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, also known as Crater Lake–Klamath Regional Airport, was established in 1928.

It has the second largest runway in Oregon (10,301 by 150 feet (3,140 by 46 meters) wide) and was listed as a backup landing strip for the Space Shuttle.