David R. Koontz

David R. Koontz (HM244S)

Location: Echo, OR 97826 Umatilla County
Buy Oregon State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 45° 44.202', W 119° 11.28'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 650 views
Inscription
David R. Koontz was a born in Gallia County, Ohio on September 20, 1829, and was buried here about September 10, 1852. He was the seventh child and youngest son of Martin V. Koontz, bridge builder and carpenter, and Lydia Rickabaugh. The Koontz family was originally from Virginia. From there they moved to Ohio and in 1843 to Wapello County, Iowa. The urge to move further west came in 1852, and the Koontz clan took the trail to Oregon. Francis Marion Koonrz, who turned 14 as the train went through the Blue Mountains, later wrote, "When we came to Oregon it was like a tribal migration. There were 24 wagons in our train, all members of the train being related." Edward Jay Allen, who was also in the train, said there 32 wagons and although the majority were from Wapello County, some were from Ohio, Missouri and Pennsylvania. At least 36 individuals in the train were related by blood or marriage.
Family reminiscences indicate the train was raided by Pawnee Indians while along the Platte River, resulting in the loss of seven horses. This meant a long walk to Oregon for some who had originally planned to ride.
While passing Names Hill on the Sublette Cutoff near present-day La Barge, Wyoming, D.R. Koontz carved his name and the date July 7, 1852 on the north face of the bluff along with nine other members of the party.
According
to oral family history David died from injuries that occurred when he was thrown from his horse. The only other deaths recorded in the wagon train were that of David's brother-in-law, Moses Hale, who died from cholera near Fort Boise and an unnamed child who died at the Columbia River Cascades. Hale also left his name inscribed at Names Hill.
Oregon-bound emigrant James S. McClung passed this grave on September 17, 1862. Like Koontz, McClung was from Wapello County:
traveled several miles & passed the grave of Mr. David Koontz from Dahlonega Wapello county Iowa he was buried about 4 rods on the right hand side on the side of a small hill the grave was covered with poles which were quite rotten the head board was rotted off at the ground but still lying by the grave the letters were cut with a knife & were plane and distinct near here the road crossed the river where we camped after traveling 15 miles.
Boy Scouts found the grave in 1915, built a fence around it, and erected a headstone. The city of Echo has been instrumental in the restoration of the site and in placing this marker.
Details
HM NumberHM244S
Tags
Year Placed2011
Placed ByOregon-California Trails Association, Owyhee County Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, December 27th, 2017 at 10:02am PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)11T E 329777 N 5067121
Decimal Degrees45.73670000, -119.18800000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 45° 44.202', W 119° 11.28'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds45° 44' 12.12" N, 119° 11' 16.8" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)541
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 77101-77299 Rieth Rd, Echo OR 97826, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?