Daniel Boone

First reached Kentucky in the fall of 1767 while on a long hunt with his brother Squire Boone. Boone's first steps in Kentucky were near present Elkhorn City.

While on the Braddock expedition years earlier, Boone had heard about the fertile land and abundant game of Kentucky from fellow wagoner John Finley, who had visited Kentucky to trade with American Indians.

Boone and Finley happened to meet again, and Finley encouraged Boone with more tales of Kentucky. At the same time, news had arrived about the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, in which the Iroquois had ceded their claim to Kentucky to the British. This, as well as the unrest in North Carolina due to the Regulator movement, likely prompted Boone to extend his exploration.

On September 25, 1773, Boone packed up his family and, with a group of about 50 emigrants, began the first attempt by British colonists to establish a settlement in Kentucky. Boone was still an obscure hunter and trapper at the time; the most prominent member of the expedition was William Russell, a well-known Virginian and future brother-in-law of Patrick Henry. (Wikipedia)

The Wilderness Road

was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Long Island on the Holston River, originally in North Carolina, now Kingsport, TN through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened, following Native American trails, to reach the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The Wilderness Road was steep and rough, and it could only be traversed on foot or horseback. Despite the adverse conditions, thousands of people used it.

After passing over the Cumberland Gap the Wilderness Road forked. The southern fork passed over the Cumberland Plateau to Nashville, Tennessee via the Cumberland River. The northern fork split into two parts. The eastern spur went into the Bluegrass region of Kentucky to Boonesborough on the Kentucky River (near Lexington). This is the section known as the Boone Trace. The western spur ran to the Falls of the Ohio (Louisville).^[8][9] As settlements grew southward, the road stretched all the way to Knoxville, Tennessee, by 1792. (Wikipedia)

Maps of the Westward Movement Roads

The Wilderness Trail Association

(See video clip below)

(Photo courtesy of Native Sun Productions)

The Westward Movement

They often traveled in groups for safety and had an insatiable drive to penetrate the great wilderness. Everyday was a struggle to survive as they lived off of the bounty of the land. In the late 1700's most of the population in the United States was found east of the Appalachian Mountains. Early pioneers and settlers travelled along the historic Wilderness Road west into the wilderness of Kentucky through Cumberland Gap. By the early 1820's it is estimated that several hundred thousand people travelled this historic route westward. Today, an estimated 47 million people in the United States are descendants of these early travelers! (Reprinted from NPS: Cumberland Gap National Park) (See video clip below.)

Daniel Boone and the Westward Movement

("Gateway to the West" Painting by: David Wright)

The Boone Trace

Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park is on the historic Wilderness Road. The road was the main route used by settlers fifty-plus years to reach Kentucky from Virginia In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. It was later lengthened, following Native American trails, to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville.

The Wilderness Road was rough and steep. In the early days of the trail, it could only be traveled on foot or horseback. As more travelers passed the road improved and horse-drawn wagons were able to follow the trail In spite of the conditions, thousands of people used it. Many of their descendants still live in in Kentucky.^[ Including the members of the McNitt Company a group of pioneers who were attacked by Native Americans on October 3, 1786. The park is also at the intersection of Boone's Trace and the Wilderness Road. Boone's Trace was also blazed by Daniel Boone. It is still open today to hiking and the Wilderness Road has since been paved as part of Kentucky Route 229. (Wikipedia)

The Boone Trace Markers

The Boone Trace Project

.The Boone Society takes on a most important project in restoring and protecting Daniel Boone's famous pathway for thousands of settlers, moving to develop this great nation. To accomplish this mission, we have drawn up a three phase plan that allows us to systematically work toward a common goal. Each phase is a mini project in it's self and could stand independently productive.

Phase One:

• Research and Identify the route of the trace, from the Gap to Boonesboro
• Develop a network of partners to accomplish this mission
• Study the decisions made by the National Park Service in 1983
• Seek protection of the monuments and markers on the route

Phase Two:

• Request that Kentucky designate 25E and 25 from the Gap to Boonesboro to be named "The Boone Trace."
• Develop a website to promote the Boone Trace for education and tourism
• Raise money in the counties and towns along the route for web development, repairs and new signs
• Make repairs to the existing DAR markers on the pathway
• Developing new markers to be placed at key historical sites.
• Creating and placing Boone Trace logo signs along Hwy. 25E and 25.

Phase Three:

• Partner with Martins Station in VA, Boonesboro in KY and the Kentucky state Parks to create a self guided audio tour of the Boone Trace.
• Create a text pamphlet with maps and places of interest, including state parks along the route for distribution in the Parks
• Create a DVD to be placed in a self guided tour kit and used for educational purposes.

This three phase approach can allow us to systematically work in a direction to accomplish our mission. If for some reason, the project halted at the conclusion of any phase, it would deem to be a success. Of course we intend to go all the way to complete all of the project, so that the rich heritage of Daniel Boone is preserved and the State of Kentucky benefits from the historical role it played in the advancement of this great nation.

This project belongs to the Boone families, the citizens of Kentucky and the people of this great nation. It can only be accomplished by the aid of the state agencies, the county and city governments, the business and chambers of Commerce along the route. If everyone shows an interest and gives support in some way, we can succeed in this endeavor. Hands of many make it an obtainable goal.

Kentucky has shown pride in Daniel Boone and he's recognized with his name on state parks, forest, national Parks, monuments and markers across the bluegrass land. But, we feel that we can never empathize enough, his greatest accomplishment of leading the settlers into the wilderness of expansion to build a great nation. Kentucky has a key role in this expansion and we as a nation, need to insure that this piece of history is never forgotten.

The Boone Trace has been overlooked and left behind to be lost forever, except for the few historians and family tales. That would be a loss for the state and the future generations, that need to know who they are and the struggles to build an environment that we enjoy today. Without this, we become a confused society as to who we are and one without pride. Through the centuries, the experiences of ancestors struggles gives appreciation and pride to build character in the following generations.

This project has started out with a very strong support from many key people. These have stepped out in faith that it is a good cause and an obtainable goal. As time goes by we will expose these people with their permission, to influence others to get behind the project. The great thing about it is that it involves so many and everyone benefits from the success of it.

We have a chance to build on the rich history of the state and leave behind a legacy for all to appreciate. In addition to that, as we educate persons to the importance of this historical movement, we also create tourism along the route from Martins Station, the Cumberland Gap on to Boonesboro on the northern terminus. It will become a living classroom, for generations to benefit from.

This newsletter has been created to keep the project updated to the key parties necessary to get it accomplished. Over time, we will update it with progress reports and be distributed to a unique e-mail list. You can feel free to forward it to your personnel, other departments and parties that you deem vital to it's success. They may register for themselves to be added to the distribution list.

The Boone Society has a website, www.boonesociety.org that will help you understand who we are and what our mission is. We are a non-profit organization and limited to resources necessary for a project of this size. We do realize that with your help, we can accomplish great things and we are grateful to all that lend a helping hand. The selection of contacts, we have approached all have a unique position to make this possible.

If we as a group, do not take action, The Boone Trace will continue to fade into the past and be lost forever. A lot of the pathway has evolved into highways, railways and towns. There is a large part that not belongs on private property. The daughters of the American Revolution placed a dozen stone markers along the route in 1915 and these have deteriorated over time and will soon fall down and possible removed from their sites.

We hope to get them on the National Historical Register for their protection and do necessary repairs to stabilize them. Then we will raise funds to place new cast markers in specific spots to identify the key historical events on that pathway. The next step is to appeal with the state to extend the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail on 25E with a more proper definition of the Boone Trace and run it on up 25 to Boonesboro. Logo signs will be placed along this stretch to acknowledge that one is following the Boone Trace.

The final phase will pull traffic of tourism for those in this span. It will be promoted to the benefit of the national and state parks and townships along the route. People will soon begin to tour this famous pathway for historical and entertainment purposes. The Boone Trace is a treasure for Kentucky and one that deserves to be preserved for future generations to come.