Getting to Modoc County from Scotland in the early 1900’s was more by chance than desire.
One example was Doug McGarva, who left his large family in 1903 to try his luck in America. He made his way to Montreal, Canada, then adventured mostly by train to San Francisco. He found work as a meat-cutter there, and through that business met a rancher who needed a chore-boy for his herd of cattle. His cattle, however, were on the Corporation Ranch in Modoc County, about 20 miles south of Alturas.
There weren't many women in Modoc in those days, so Doug returned to Scotland in 1906 to find a wife. Gradually, most of Doug's family emigrated, too, and started raising sheep. Later they got into the cattle business, buying ranches near Jess Valley and Likely.
The original Likely ranch had 210 acres of flat, swampy land and 90 acres of sage-covered hills. Twenty-horse teams pulling excavators drained the swamps, converting them to meadows. The McGarva family, still ranching in Modoc County, are now known for their long history of good land stewardship and community involvement.
Source: Weigand, Glorianne. Dusty Trails. Bend, Oregon, Maverick Publications, Inc., 1994, pp. 31-37.
