NATIONAL BOONE DAY | JUNE 7
National Boone Day, observed each year on June 7th, commemorates the day frontiersman Daniel Boone (November 2, 1734 – September 26, 1820) first began exploring the valleys and forests of the present-day Bluegrass State of Kentucky on June 7, 1769. Boone founded the village of Boonesborough, Kentucky, which is one of the first American settlements west of the Appalachians.
#NationalBooneDay
Daniel Boone, an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman, was born on November 2, 1734. His frontier exploits made him one of the United States’ first folk heroes. By the end of the 18th century, following the route marked by Boone, more than 200,000 European people had migrated to Kentucky/Virginia.
Daniel Boone married Rebecca Bryan on August 14, 1756. They lived in a cabin on his father’s farm where they had ten children. Boone supported his family as a market hunter, collecting pelts for the fur trade.
During the Revolutionary War, Boone served in the militia as an officer and, in 1778, Shawnee warriors captured him. They eventually adopted him into their tribe. He later left the Indians, returning to Boonesborough to help defend the European settlements in Kentucky/Virginia.
Following the war, Daniel Boone emigrated to eastern Missouri, where he spent most of the last two decades of his life. Boone died of natural causes on September 26, 1820, at the age of 85. His last words were, “I’m going now, my time has come.”
Many places in the United States are named after Daniel Boone, including the Daniel Boone National Forest, the Sheltowee Trace Trail, the town of Boone, North Carolina, and seven different counties. Schools are also named after Boone, including locations in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Chicago.
A legend in his lifetime, Boone remains an iconic figure in American history.
HOW TO OBSERVE National Boone Day
How much do you know about Daniel Boone? Is it folklore or historical fact? Explore the history books, museums, and historical sites in the places he lived, and on the trails, he blazed to find out. We compiled a short list of ideas to help you celebrate today. We also suggest you use #NationalBooneDay to share on social media.
NATIONAL BOONE DAY HISTORY
The Kentucky Historical Society founded Boone Day over 140 years ago, and the day is still going strong.