George Nurse was born in New York in 1820 and moved to Oregon in the early 1860s. In 1867 Nurse obtained 160 acres from the state of Oregon and established the town of Linkville, which later became Klamath Falls. Nurse held many positions in Linkville, including postmaster and registrar of the land office. He played a large part in the development of Linkville by giving the land to individuals who wished to settle there. It was his generosity that allowed for the allotment of land for many key buildings, such as the courthouse, that made Linkville into a true town. After accepting responsibility for the debts of others, George Nurse was forced to liquidate his own assets to pay off the debts. After settling the debts he moved to Yreka, California, in 1883. Linkville was renamed Klamath Falls ten years later, in 1893. George Nurse died in 1905.