Fort Boonesboro, Kentucky

Since my early days when first introduced to Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, thank you Walt, I have been fasinated by the life our country's early pioneers led. It took me some years to learn that Daniel was really before Davy, and I still can't get over the fact that Fess Parker actually played both characters in the separate Disney series.

I can't explain why it took me so long to finally visit the places Daniel helped make famous, but it was well worth the wait when we visited Fort Boonesboro in the heart of Kentucky's Blue Grass. If you've never been to Fort Boonesboro State Park, now is the time to visit, and stay a while. The year 2009
represents the celebration of Daniel Boone's 275th Birthday with events planned throughout the year, the main events ocurring Oct 16-18, and Daniel's birthday, October 22nd.

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No visit to Fort Boonesboro would be complete without a stop at nearby Boone Station State Historic Park. In December 1779, Daniel moved his family, and a small group of settlers, from Fort Boonesboro, west 7 miles to a track of land he had surveyed in 1774 for James Hickman. This homestead was named Boone Station and by 1783 had up to 20 families. It was during their time at Boone Station that Daniel's brother Edward, son Israel, and nephew Thomas were killed in engagements with Indians. Edward died while on a hunting trip with Daniel. The attacking Shawnee thought they had killed the famous Daniel Boone. Israel and Thomas were killed at The Battle of Blue Licks, (more).

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Fort Boonesboro, located 35 miles south of Lexington, is a great location from which to explore the many historical parks, landmarks, and landscapes that played key roles in the settlement of the Kentucky frontier. Bryan's Station (Read), just 30 miles north, and Fort Harrod some 40 miles southwest, provided support for settlers during Indian uprisings. Fort Harrod, established in 1774, was the first permanent settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains.

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Nearby towns of Richmond and Berea make for a nice daytrip. The Boone Statue on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, is an exact copy of the Enid Yandell statue cast in bronze for the City of Louisville in 1906. The Boone Tavern Hotel, owned by Berea College, is just one of the many points of interest to be found while visiting Berea.