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Few names evoke more memories of earliest Kentucky pioneer days than that of Daniel Boone (1734-1820), and few counties have more claims to him than Nicholas County. A superb woodsman, Boone found his way into Kentucky from North Carolina, exploring and, later, leading others into the area. He participated in the last battle of the Revolutionary War, battling a troop of Canadians and Indians at what is now Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park on Highway 68. There, Boone lost a son who is remembered on the park's memorial, as are others who died there.
Boone became a surveyor and land agent after the war, as settlers began to pour into Kentucky. He amassed thousands of acres, but poor record keeping, conflicting land claims, and Kentucky's transition from a county of Virginia into a state cost him most of his property. In disgust, Boone retired to a cabin on Brushy Fork in Nicholas County with his wife, Rebecca. Here he trapped and hunted, until his itch to see new lands led him on to Missouri. He died there, but later he and Rebecca were buried in the cemetery at Frankfort, Kentucky, overlooking the Kentucky River.
Boone's cabin now stands on private property on Highway 68, three miles from the traffic island on Highways 68 and 36. A gravel road close to the historic marker sign leads to the cabin. Visitors are asked to park to the side of that road, in order not to block access.
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