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Daniel Boone (1734-1820) was born
November 2, 1734 in a log cabin in Berks County,
near present-day Reading, Pennsylvania. Boone is
one of the most famous pioneers in United States
history. He spent most of his life exploring and
settling the American frontier.
Daniel had 10 brothers and sisters. He had no formal
schooling, but he did learn to read and write. He
became an expert hunter and tracker by the age of
12. On August 14,1756 he married Rebecca Bryan,
they had 10 children together.
In 1775 Boone and 30 other woodsmen were hired
to improve the trails between the Carolinas and
the west. The resulting route reached into the heart
of Kentucky and became known as the "Wilderness
Road." That same year Boone built a fort and
village called Boonesborough in Kentucky, and moved
his family over the Wilderness Trail to their new
home.
In 1776, Shawnee warriors kidnapped his daughter
and two other girls. Two days later Boone caught
up with the Indians and through surprise attack
rescued the girls.
Even before Kentucky was admitted as a state in
1792, its lands had become valuable. Boone laid
claim to a number of tracts in Kentucky. Litigation
arose that questioned many settlers' title to their
lands. Daniel Boone had fought the Indians and won.
He was fighting white men now and losing steadily.
Year after year, a series of legal troubles plagued
him. His claims were never properly registered,
and he eventually lost all the land he thought was
his. Indians with knives, rifles, war clubs, and
tomahawks held no terror for Daniel Boone. Lawyers
with calf-bound books, writs, summonses, and suits
conquered him easily enough. Boone acquired additional
enormous land holdings in Kentucky by surveying
lands on shares for wealthy gentleman in the East.
In all such cases Boone guaranteed to secure good
lands with clear titles. When he failed to do so
he not only lost his own share but found himself
in debt to the men whom he had given the guarantee.
. . . With all these elements combined against him,
he soon found himself hopelessly loaded down with
debt.
It was not long before the Kentuckians, who had
once all but worshipped him, hated him savagely.
His honesty as a surveyor was questioned.
Boone was appointed magistrate of his district
in 1800, and served until the territory was ceded
to the United States in 1803. Again he lost his
titles to his land. He continued to work hard, however,
and in 1810 was able to return to Kentucky to pay
off some old debts that had troubled him. This left
him almost penniless.
The sensitive Boone was at first surprised, then
hurt, then bitter. He gave up official life, withdrew
more and more from the world. It is no wonder he
was angry. As a member of the legislature he had
always been going back and forth between the frontier
and the settlements. On these trips he was always
being importuned to make land entries for other
people. Now the good natured help he had given his
neighbors turned out to be a constant source of
trouble. Whenever there was a dispute over a land
entry - and there always was dispute over a land
entry - he was blamed.
"I have never been lost, but I will admit
to being confused for several weeks."
—Daniel Boone
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