Photo of a row of tiny rough hewn wood cabins of one room at the Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky. It was once a settlement and fort founded by the woodsman Daniel Boone by RosevineCottageGirls.com

Visiting Fort Boonesborough Part 1

Historic Places, History, Travel / By

Today we are on a journey to Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky. The place where the frontiersman of fame Daniel Boone led families (including his own) across the wilds of Kentucky to build a settlement and fort here and start a new life. It is quite a drive for us but the scenery is wonderful so I don’t mind and am carried away by the beauty of this place.

After exploring East Tennessee and its waterfalls, I found that Kentucky is surprisingly flat -not completely, but nothing like East Tennessee. The trees are turning brilliant shades of red and orange, no two alike so that as we speed by it looks like a forest fire punctuated by fields of dry corn stalks and yellowish-green tobacco plants. We passed a little white church nestled between the fields like a painting, so peaceful and Americana.

On the road to Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky on a beautiful fall day. The highway disappears in the horizon and large hardwood trees line the road like a sentry in colors of red, orange, yellow and green. A street sign tells travelers what is coming down the road. Whispy clouds fill the blue sky

 

The flatlands give way to beautiful hills in a colorful skirt of trees a thousand colors splashed across them in a dazzling display- and just like that the flatlands return. We’re still around 65 miles from the fort, the scenery has switched to drab shades of green and brown, occasionally pocked with yellow.
 
Photo of a farm on the way to Fort Boonesborough in Kentucky. Crops already harvested and shorn close to the earth and what is left is a brilliant golden color. A copse of green trees is in the distance to the left and a small farm house and barn is further away from the camera. The sky is white and glowing from the clouds.

 

We pulled into the parking lot and the outer walls of the fort greeting our eyes in drab and unimpressive colors against a muted sky. A Washington Memorial-type monument sits in the center of a small flower garden bearing the names of those who lived at this fort.

A rough log wooden tall fence surrounding the Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. In front of the fence is an obelisk memorial to those who lived here at the fort . This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
Monument at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. In front of the fence is an obelisk memorial to those who lived here at the fort . This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
A close up photograph of the memorial stone at the Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. This is from the obelisk memorial to those who lived here at the fort . These are just a few names. Boone Ann, Boone Betsy, Boone Col. Daniel, Boone Daniel Morgan, Boone Edward, Boone Enoch Morgan, Boone George, Boone Hanna, Boone Isiah, Boone Israel, Boone Jemima, Boone Jesse, Boone Jonathan, Boone Josiah, Boone Lavinia, Boone Moses, Boone Nathan, Boone Rebecca, Boone Rebecca (Coe) Boone Samuel, Boone Sarah, Boone Sarah (Wilcoxon, Boone Squire, Boone (Mrs. Squire) This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

The gates yawned wide as we stepped into the past, our family’s past. You see our family lived at this fort, they walked this ground (well not this exact spot this is the working fort, and the original site isn’t too far from here. We will be visiting there next), their blood sweat, tears, and dreams went into this place. We’ve wanted to come here for a very long time especially after Mr. Cottage got to explore his family’s roots in Germany, but it just never worked out until now.

Front gates of Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY. The tall rough log fence served to protect the settlement from Indian raids and wild animals.

 

April 1, 1775, Daniel Boone and his small group of ax men who were the advance party in their group came to what they call Sycamore Hollow near the headwaters of Otter Creek, blazing a trail through the wilderness of what would one day be the state of Kentucky and decided to begin at once felling trees for huts, for this was the place. It was near a nice stream with fresh water, many natural springs, a shallow area to ford the water, a salt lick, and plenty of buffalo judging by the herd of 200 that they just had frightened as they chopped through the last of the low limbs of the dense trees and scrub. The large wooly creatures started at the noise and movement that they had made and dashed away from the water’s edge.

Photo shows a historical marker for Fort Boonesborough telling of the history of the fort by rosevinecottagegirls.com It says, " In 1778 the Kentucky frontier was saved by two major military victories: The settlers withstood the Great Siege of Boonesborough and George Rogers Clark defeated the British and Indians at Kaskaskia and Vincennes. This fort became the first town chartered in Kentucky. October 1779 by the Virginia Assembly

 

Hard at work the men toiled clearing the land and building the crude forts when Col. Richard Henderson arrived and looked at the land the men had chosen to build on and shook his head at the low-lying land.  This would never do because it was a natural floodplain there so when the storms came and the rain came down their cabins would be quickly swamped by the floods. So Col. Henderson had the fort moved 300 yards away from the water’s edge. 

 

 

Photo shows a panoramic view of Fort Boonesborough (home of the frontiersman Daniel Boone and his family) with rows of neat rough hewn cabins around the edges of the fort and a space to garden in the center. R

 

Can you imagine the frustration of having to tear down and move those weeks of hard work?

 

Photo shows rough hewn wood cabin with dark wood and cream colored chinking between the logs to seal the walls. There is a single door and small square window opening with a cover on it. Each cabin has a stacked stone chimney on the left hand side. There is a gravel pathway and then small pathways to each cabin. Each one is about four feet away from its neighbor and there is a wooden fence along the exterior to protect the people living there. This was a community Boonesborough built by Famous Frontiersman Daniel Boon and the men he led to the area for settlement by RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
My heart is in my throat as I listen to the wind blow through the leaves rustling them softly and the gravel crunching under my feet. It is such an odd feeling walking in the footsteps of your own history and I am really struck by it.

 

Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY inside of the fort the photo shows a long row going up a sloping hill of six very small one room rough hewn log cabins. The wood is a dark brown and the chinking between the logs are a creamy color. There is a single door on the front wall and to the right and then there is a tiny square window to the left with some tanned skins over it for a covering. The roof is made of wood shingles and each cabin has a stacked stone chimney on the left side of the cabin. The cabins are about four feet apart. There is a gravel pathway that leads around the interior of the fort and small short paths that go to each cabin. There is a split rail fence around the center of the fort. Article and photo by RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
As we approach, I notice that the fort is deceptively large, cabins line the outer walls, the group that set this up has made each in a different stage of life at the fort to give you an idea of what it might have been like, along with several “workshops” like soap making, weaving etc.


 Related Articles: Lost River Cave

A close up photograph of one of the small cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
These cabins are so small. I stand in the dusty cabin, the creaking floor under my feet the grit from the dirt on the trail like sandpaper against the wood. 
 
A look at the interior of one of the cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home place and settlement of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. A wooden bed is made connected to the two walls of the cabin in the corner across from the door. Rope is threaded through the frame to hold the simple mattress that would be stuffed with hay or if you were fortunate feathers. Then a blue and white quilt is placed on top. Under the bed is another mattress that could be slid out for children to sleep on at night. A small trunk sits at the foot of the bed and three pairs of shoes are resting on the chest. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

I enter one tiny cabin with a straw mattress on the floor under the bed and am struck by the fact that this tiny space was not just for a single man blazing a trail through the wooded wilderness but men with their wives, sisters, brothers and little babies tucked to sleep on a mattress filled with pokey straw inside this little place to the sound of a fire popping in the fireplace and the warmth of it on their cheeks as the snuggled up to one another to chase off the chill. 

A photograph of the interior of one of the small cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property and stacked into a single story home. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This cabin displays the tools that would have been used on the property by the settlers of the fort. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

The reality of the hard work these men and women did to make a safe home, protected from the animals and elements as quickly as they could. 

A photograph of one of the small cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This cabin displays a simple table and chair, a loom to weave fabric, and other implements that you would have seen over the years at this settlement. Boonesborough is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

Creating furniture from the woods around them, weaving fabric for clothing, bedding, and more. Tanning hides to make coats and shoes.

A close up photograph of one of the small cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This photo has a spinning wheel set up by the hearth of the fireplace with a stool to sit and do your weaving. A bed is to the left and above the bed is a simple loft with a mattress for the children in the family to sleep on at night. Boonesborough was the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

 

A photograph of one of the small cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. The floor is a simple dirt floor. There is a log in the right corner by the hearth to sit on and a crock for some sort of storage there. hanging from the ceiling there are plants of some kind drying. In the left hand corner there is a simple pile of straw that one would sleep on at night. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
 
A close up photograph of the gates of Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The gate and fence is made from trees they have cut down and fastened together and buried partially into the ground. There is a large bar and brackets to hold the bar in place to seal the doors shut from invaders and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

In each corner of the fort, there is a bigger building called a blockhouse, the dark wood against the light plaster is strangely beautiful, and homie, I can almost picture my family here 200 years ago.

 

A photograph of one of the small cabins and a block house located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

We only had 30 minutes to look around before they closed because the drive took much longer than we expected. We got to speak with a very sweet lady who made soap there, she gave mom a book about the women at the fort and told us about some of the events they host.

A close up photograph of one of the small cabins located at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
We spent a few minutes at the small museum to look at items named for the famous Daniel Boone. A coon skin cap sits in a display and a large bag once filled with dry pinto beans, a songbook with the “Song Of Daniel Boone” sits in a glass frame and some fact or fiction sheets test your knowledge on the real Daniel Boone.
 
A close up photograph of some of the Daniel Boone collections in the museum Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com

 

A close up photograph of some of the artifacts in the museum at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
The center area of the fort held several different places to work. Places for cooking, laundry, gardening areas, etc. for practical work here in the day to day running of life within these walls.
 
A photograph of the common area at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. It shows an area with stacked wood and a metal tripod with a large cast iron pot over a cooking area This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
A photograph showing rows of the small rough hewn log cabing along the edges of the fort with part of the common area that has plots for gardening. This was a settlement by Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabins are made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
Stacked log fencing separates the garden from other areas, I wish that I would have come earlier in the season. I would love to see it full of wonderful plants growing but the season has grown late and the garden bounty has already been harvested here.
 
Photo of a reproduction of the Transylvania Store by Col R. Henderson that was established in 1775 at Fort Boonesborough in Boonesborough, KY the home of Daniel Boone (the famous frontiersman) and his family along with other families that he led there for settlement. The wooden cabin is made of trees felled on the property cut to a tip on the top and bottom and stacked into a single story. Cream colored chinking fills the gaps between the logs to keep out cold air and animals. This is the first chartered town in the State of Kentucky. By RosevineCottageGirls.com
 
One of the buildings has a reproduction of Col Henderson’s store called the Transylvania Store that was established in 1775.
 
Woman with a book on her lap with a leather cover and straps to hold it shut.
 

All too soon it was time to leave, Mr. Cottage took a bit longer than us to finish looking around and the ranger locking up joked that he was going to lock him in. Now we are off to the original site before it gets too dark and we have to head home.

Check it out below on Visiting Fort Boonesborough part 2.

Don’t know who Daniel Boone was? Check out this video here on YouTube  

Before You Go, Check Out These Other Articles:

 

Related Posts

Scroll to Top