From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bly is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It is about 44 miles
(71 km) east of Klamath Falls. As of 2000, the
population was 486.
History
The name Bly comes from the Klamath word p'lai, meaning "up" or
"high", referring to its location up the Sprague River.[1] A
post office called Sprague River was established in the area in
1873, and the name was changed to Bly in 1883.[1]
(The current community of Sprague River is west of Bly.)
Originally platted in Jackson County in 1928, the town
was called Sprague River until the creation of Klamath County out
of Jackson County in 1882.
World War
II
Bly is also the site of the only fatalities of World War II in the
mainland United States due to enemy attack.[1] On
May 5, 1945, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded as it was being
pulled from the woods by curious picnickers.[1]
Killed in the explosion were: Mrs. Elsie Mitchell, 26, wife of a
local minister; Edward Engen, 13; Richard Patzke, 14; Jay Gifford,
13; Sherman Shoemaker, 11; and Joan Patzke, 13.[2] A
memorial was erected at what today is called the Mitchell Recreation Area.
Alleged terrorist training
camp
In 2002, Bly attracted national attention when Earnest James Ujaama was indicted and
arrested for, in part, conspiring to set up a terrorist training
camp on a ranch near Bly between October and December 1999. The
indictment claimed that Ujaama was a follower of Abu Hamza
al-Masri, and had ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.[3] Ujaama
pleaded guilty in 2007 to charges that he provided material support
to terrorists by trying to set up the Bly training camp.[4]
Convicted on 11 criminal charges in Britain, Abu Hamza al-Masri is
still wanted by U.S. prosecutors for trying to establish the
training camp. In May 2009, Oussama Kassir was convicted for
conspiring to assist in the camp's creation, based in part on
testimony from Ujaama.[5]
Parks and
recreation
The Bly
Ranger Station is located in the community.
References
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