Boone Station State Park
Boone Station was founded by Daniel Boone, the famous Kentucky explorer and huntsman, and other families who moved down from Boonesborough. Consisting of 46 acres of land in Fayette county, Boone Station contains multiple cabins and other historic buildings, and stands testament to the rough, wild history of Kentucky settlement.
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Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone started out as a militia officer during the Revolutionary War, and began to move West to follow the fur trade, moving into the Kentucky Wilderness through the Cumberland Gap on a two-year hunting expedition after it's purchase by the Transylvania Land Company. During the trip, he and a fellow traveler were captured by Shawnee Native Americans. He would be adopted into the tribe, but would later leave to return to Fort Boonesborough to defend it from attack.
Boone would be elected to three terms in the Virginia State Assembly before fighting in the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the final conflicts of the Revolutionary War. He would eventually return to Kentucky as a surveyor, blazing new trails and making large swaths of land accessible to European pioneers. By his death, he was one of the most well-known pioneers in the US.
Boone would be elected to three terms in the Virginia State Assembly before fighting in the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the final conflicts of the Revolutionary War. He would eventually return to Kentucky as a surveyor, blazing new trails and making large swaths of land accessible to European pioneers. By his death, he was one of the most well-known pioneers in the US.
Foundations
Daniel Boone, a Kentucky pioneer, founded the fort of Boone Station after his other settlement, Fort Boonesborough, grew too crowded. He had felt waves of growing resentment from the Fort's population, and once the land grant was verified, was ready to trudge back into the wilderness to stake a new claim on the land. He and several other pioneer families founded Boone Station in December, 1779. The initial "half-camp" shelters barely withstood the harsh winter, and life would grown more and more as the Revolutionary War grew nearer.
Life on the Settlement
At its height, the site housed 15-20 families in close proximity. Men would hunt for food and furs for trading, while women and children stayed behind and cared for the camp. Of the many dangers faced by the settlers, the Native American presence was most feared: the kidnapping of children was not uncommon, and warfare with tribes was constant and carried high casualty rates. Relations were not all bad, however; in the midst of warfare, settlers and natives continued to conduct business, and in some cases, intermarry.
When moving West, many settlers gave little heed to land rights and ownership, and many banks would resell the same parcel of land multiple times in an unethical attempt to make money. In 1781, Boone's land grant was deemed worthless, and by 1791, all of the settlers had moved on, leaving Boone Station completely abandoned. The property would be passed around from one family to another for more than a century before falling under state control.
When moving West, many settlers gave little heed to land rights and ownership, and many banks would resell the same parcel of land multiple times in an unethical attempt to make money. In 1781, Boone's land grant was deemed worthless, and by 1791, all of the settlers had moved on, leaving Boone Station completely abandoned. The property would be passed around from one family to another for more than a century before falling under state control.
Current Museum
Boone Station serves primarily as a nature site, preserving the feel of an unsettled Kentucky and harboring large selections of native wildlife. The park is a nice place to visit if one is going for a picnic, or finding a place to let the kids play during a nice spring day. In addition, the site has a modest memorial to Israel Boone, the son of Daniel Boone who was killed during the Battle of Blue Licks against the British Loyalists.
Sources
http://www.boonesociety.org/projects/BooneStation.htm
http://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/html/boone_station.html
http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/boone-station/history.aspx
http://www.academia.edu/2762747/Archaeological_Investigations_at_Daniel_Boones_Station_Fayette_County_Kentucky
http://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/html/boone_station.html
http://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/html/boone_station.html
http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/boone-station/history.aspx
http://www.academia.edu/2762747/Archaeological_Investigations_at_Daniel_Boones_Station_Fayette_County_Kentucky
http://www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org/html/boone_station.html