Daniel Boone 1734-1820

Birth: Nov. 2, 1734
Death: Sep. 26, 1820

Frontiersman. Born in Pennsylvania, the sixth of twelve children to Quaker parents, Squire Boone, a weaver and blacksmith and Sarah Jarman Morgan. As a boy, Boone received an elementary education. The Boone family left Pennsylvania around 1750 and eventually settled in North Carolina. In 1756 Boone married neighbor Rebecca Bryan. The couple would produce ten children.

In 1769, he set out with five others to explore the border region of Kentucky territory. They passed Cumberland Gap and on June 7, and set up camp at Station Camp Ceek. They explored Kentucky as far west as the falls of the Ohio. In 1773 he returned home, sold his farm and set out with his family, two brothers, and five other families, to settle in Kentucky. They were intercepted by Shawnee in an attack that resulted in the death of Boone's oldest son, James. The party was forced to retreat to the Clinch River. Two years later, Boone succeeded in founding Boonesborough, Kentucky near present day Lexington.

During the American Revolution Boonesborough became the site of several battles. It was besieged at least three times over a period of months. The Battle of Blue Licks on August 19, 1782, almost ten months after the surrender at Yorktown, was a decisive victory for a combined force of 1000 British regulars and tribes from the Ohio nations. It also cost the life of Boone’s second son, Israel.

After the war, in 1792, Kentucky was admitted into the Union as the 15th state. Litigation arose that questioned many settlers' title to their lands. Boone lost all his property due to lack of clear title. In 1795 he settled on the Femme Osage Creek, in St. Charles County, Missouri. He was appointed commander of the Femme Osage district, and received a large grant of land for his services, which he subsequently lost because he failed to make his title good. His claim to another tract of land was confirmed by Congress in 1812, in consideration of his services. Rebecca Boone died in 1813.

The St. Louis Enquirer of October 14, 1820 ran an obituary notice that read: “DIED. On the 26th ult. [Sep.] at Charette in the ninetieth year of his age, the celebrated Col. DANIEL BOONE, discoverer and first settler of the State of Kentucky.” In 1845 in a controversial move, the remains of Boone and his wife were relocated from Missouri to Kentucky. There is some controversy surrounding the final disposition of the Boones’ remains. Some say Daniel and Rebecca’s remains are still in Missouri, and the wrong bodies were removed and re-buried. Others have demanded the return of the bodies to MO.