David Douglas

On this day in 2014, the botanist David Douglas was memorialized with a plaque at his death site.

The occasion marked the 100th anniversary of Douglas's death.

The Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission created the plaque because Douglas was the first scientist to visit the Oregon territory. Douglas scientifically identified hundreds of plants during his lifetime, including the Douglas fir, the state tree of Oregon.

In addition to the Oregon contingent, botanists from Scotland, England, and Hawaii placed the plaque at the spot on the Mountain where Douglas died on the Big Island. The locals call it the "Doctor's Pit."

Douglas died after falling into a pit designed to trap animals. Tragically, a bull was also in the pit and gored Douglas to death.

The site hasn't changed much over the past 180 years. Today, a dirt road leads the occasional visitor near the site.