08/27/2025
WHAT’S IN A NAME, No. 45 – Beaver Marsh
The Upper Klamath Basin was never known as a trapper’s paradise, but one community’s name indicates there must have been at least a few of the furry critters around.
Beaver Marsh, on Highway 97 about six miles south of Chemult, isn’t named for a person, but for the animal that may have been seen along the banks of Miller Creek in days gone by.
Like Chemult, Beaver Marsh has mainly been a way station for travelers, including those on stagecoaches and freight wagons in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Our photo shows the grand Beaver Marsh Hotel, which served the traveling public on Highway 97 in the 1950s and ‘60s, before being destroyed by fire.
As early as 1909, Beaver Marsh was in the news when the Evening Herald on Oct. 7 reported that a preliminary railroad survey was made from Bend to Beaver Marsh. There it stopped while the crew returned to Corral Springs north of Chemult.
A few hardy souls staked claims in the frost-prone area around 1910. A small school was established, and when the Southern Pacific railroad passed nearby in 1924, hopes for a town grew. A post office was established in 1927, with settler William Zumbrunn serving as postmaster.
But the town never took off as envisioned by many. The post office closed after little more than a year.
The May 13, 1924, Evening Herald reported that phone lines were to be built in northern Klamath County, one of which would run from Beaver Marsh to Bear Flat near the Lake County line. The purpose was to aid forest owners, so the cost was to be apportioned among the different timber companies.
Though small, the community wasn’t without its crime. The Evening Herald of July 25, 1930, reported, “Five men were arrested last night at Beaver Marsh by a gang of federal and Indian officers and will probably be brought before federal authorities to answer liquor charges. The men were operating a large 60 gallon still. Their truck, used for deliveries, was taken by officers and is being held.”
An airport was important to northern Klamath County, though a breakdown in communication briefly stalled its development. The Civil Aeronautics Authority announced in 1943 it wanted to build a landing strip near Beaver Marsh. The idea was later dropped because, according to officials, the county did not want to sponsor the project. That was a surprise to county officials, however, who knew nothing of the need for a sponsor and expressed their willingness to cooperate with the CAA.
By March 27, 1944, The Herald and News reported that the CAA was opening bids for an unpaved airplane landing strip at Beaver Marsh. “It is expected the strip will cost about $35,000. The job includes clearing, grubbing, grading and lighting.”
Area flyers met in 1948 to discuss establishment of a weather station at Beaver Marsh. The purpose of such a station was to reduce the danger of flying into bad weather. There were numerous reports of missing planes, or aircraft that landed at Beaver Marsh to wait out the storms.
When it comes to high traffic volume, one of the busiest spots in northern Klamath County is the pair of Highway 97 rest areas near Chemult, which are officially known as the Beaver Marsh Rest Areas. The original safety rest area opened in 1960. A Blue Star marker honoring American servicemen and women at the northbound rest area was installed by the Chemult Garden Club, and dedicated in August 1960.
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