The county 's economy was never healthy after the gold rush . The area was contested with Native American tribes . The " Klamath and Salmon River Indian " War " and the 1858-1864 " Bald Hills War " involved white vigilantes hunting down and killing most adult males and killing , capturing , or enslaving women and children . Many of the captive natives subsequently died of starvation and exposure at Fort Humboldt . The white settler 's economy suffered from the effects of the Indian " wars " , which disrupted the supplies to the settlements from the coastal towns . Worse still was the devastating effects of the Great Flood of 1862 which swept away the riverside settlements , mining works and ferries . In 1874 Klamath County was finally abolished , divided between Siskiyou and Humboldt counties . The official reason for dissolving of Klamath County was its electoral corruption . In one election there were many more votes tallied than voters . Present day Del Norte County occupies part of Klamath County
Great Flood of 1862
Great Flood of 1862
Klamath County, California