Daniel Boone's Missouri Home

During my third trip to complete the Katy Trail by bicycle, I decided to take my time and read all the Wayside Exhibits (information boards) along the way as many new improvements had been added since my last trip in 2003.  The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 is mentioned the most as there are about 200 miles along the Missouri River that has been designated as an official segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.  It is also part of the American Discovery Trail and has the designation as a Millennium Legacy Trail.  It is no wonder that the Katy Trail was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame in 2008.  The Katy is not only a healthy and fun adventure, but also an educational one.  

This exhibit was just across the highway from the trailhead at Matson.  I learned that Daniel Boone was  appointed by the Spanish Lt. Governor to be the "judge" for the area as he was greatly respected and admired by both the French and Spanish who traveled in this area that was not yet a part of the United States.  There were two of these Judgement Trees around in which a simple court was held and Daniel Boone had the final say.  There was no other law available for most of the typical problems that arose in the early settlement times.

So now I am really interested in learning more about Daniel Boone.  Other boards were available at this site to increase my curiosity.  As I read, I knew I was going to have to make a trip to Daniel Boone's Home a part of this trip although travel will have to be by car near Defiance, Missouri. Here is some of what I learned at this site and from taking the tour at Daniel Boone's Home the next day... 

Before Lewis and Clark, there was Daniel Boone.  Born into a Quaker family in Pennsylvania, Boone established himself at an early age as a successful outdoorsman.   His family moved to North Carolina when he was 15 leaving their Quaker restrictions behind.  He married at age 21; wife Rebecca was 17.  Together they had 10 children; seven lived and gave them 68 grandchildren.  By the time Boone was 31, there were four times as many people in their North Carolina Yadkin Valley home than when they first moved there.  Kentucky began to look good when mounting debts from hunting provision loans became a burden because he was having to travel further out to find game.  Boone and a couple of other men set off in 1769 for Kentucky to see what it had to offer.  The land proved to be appealing and plentiful in game.  In 1773, Boone set out again.  This time there was a party of five families.  This first attempt to settle was unsuccessful as five members of the party were killed including Boone's first born son, James.   Daniel Boone did not give up and returned in 1775 with 28 axeman and created the Wilderness Trail which stretched from Tennessee to Kentucky.  This trail helped to establish many towns including Boonesborough, which was established by Daniel Boone himself.

Famous painting by Caleb Bingham of Daniel Boone leading settlers through the Cumberland Gap

By the late 1700's, Kentucky was becoming crowded and the Spanish lands west of the Mississippi was rumored to have abundant resources.  At that time, Daniel Boone was faced with several lawsuits in regard to land claims as he was working as a land surveyor and his 4th grade education likely was not sufficient to write deed descriptions especially as the years and population increased.  Daniel Boone sent his son, Daniel Morgan Boone to check out the Spanish lands in 1798.  This land was all part of what was to be the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the year before the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  He returned with a letter from the Spanish Lt. Governor inviting Boone out and stating that if he was to bring people with him, he and his people would be offered free grants of choice land.  This looked good to Boone especially since he had just lost large land holdings in Kentucky.  He accepted. 

In October of 1799, Daniel Boone and several of his sons and grandchildren arrived at the Missouri River.  He was 65 years old. Boone's land grant consisted of 1,000 arpents or 850 acres.  The Spanish map above shows how much of his land in the areas of Matson and Defiance were parceled out.  

Although Daniel Boone had his own land, he did not live on it.  Instead he built cabins on each of his children's properties and traveled between them.  Daniel Boone's youngest son, Nathan, did not travel with his father and the rest of the family to Missouri but stayed back to marry Olive Van Bibber.  When he did come, there were not many land grants remaining but he was lucky to obtain land from Robert Hall.  This 680 acres was where Daniel Boone choose to live his last 20 years with his youngest son and his family.  It is in this house that he died.  He was buried on this land but in recent years his remains were moved to Kentucky.  There is some controversy about whether or not the remains in Kentucky are actually that of Daniel Boone.  There was some question, so in 1984, DNA tests were done and the results showed the remains were of African and/or Indian origin.  No other tests have been done since.  The official status remains that Kentucky has the remains.  

The construction of the home was started in 1803 and completed in 1810.  It was a grand house and has been restored. For more information see the Historic Daniel Boone Home & Heritage Center, Lindenwood University at danielboonehome.com

This is the back of the home with our tour guide standing by the door.  It is a four story home with 2 1/2 feet thick walls.  The Missouri blue limestone was quarried locally moved to this location using either a horse or oxen drawn sled.  Handmade tools were used.

This would be the front of the house.  It was built as a fortress with the kitchen in the lowest floor with minimal openings.  Nathan was 18 years old and Olive was 16 when they married in 1799.  They had 14 children, one died at birth.  They lived in this home until 1837 when Nathan, an appointed captain of the First U.S. Dragoons, journeyed south and was struck by the beauty of the Ozark hills.  The family sold their property and moved to Ash Grove, Missouri where they started a new life.  This was where Nathan, Olive, and other family members died and were buried.  It is a short distance west of Springfield, Missouri on Highway 160.

Keith is going up the stairs pointing to a large wooden peg that secured the original construction like so many that were used instead of iron nails.  The interior was amazing as it was restored completely with many of the original furnishings.

Keith and I are at the top floor overlooking the settlement.  Picture taking of the interior was not allowed.  If you get a chance to take the tour, it would be well worth it!  

This is the view of the settlement from the far end with the main house in the center left at the base of the trees.  All of the other buildings were moved to the site in recent years.  They are all from within 50 miles and built of the same time period.

The Old Peace Chapel was having an actual wedding the day we were there!

This is Levi The Horse.  He represents the draft horses that served many purposes in the 1800's.  They were used as transportation, haul goods, and as a great labor force.  There were chickens and sheep like the ones in the photo used for their meat.  Keith found some canebrake (grass) and fed Levi by hand.

Lots of other pictures were taken but are not included on this blog.  The website has many good photos that include events.  There are 16 restored buildings and many other interests including The Gardens.  There was a heavy frost the night before but we could see that all the gardens were complimentary and purposeful.  Companion planting was obvious in each of the gardens.  We could see areas for a culinary garden, medicinal garden, tea garden, dye garden, herb garden, and a butterfly garden.  Prairie restoration in underway for areas around the settlement.

This view is from the back of the house looking toward the settlement.  It is taken from a small bridge that is over the spring that flows across the property.  It is the main reason this land was chosen to build on and settle by Daniel Boone.  Unlimited fresh water was a main criteria in the decision.

The spring water was channeled through the property and reinforced with rock.

The spring's water flows through this spring house where it's coolness was utilized in keeping food stored.  This  spring house has earth on three sides with this entrance setting below the ground level.

This is the Callaway House that was built between 1811 and 1812 in what is today Warren County.  It belonged to Flanders Callaway and his wife Jemima Boone.  Jemima Boone was one of Daniel Boone's daughters.  Flanders Callaway was one of the men that crossed the Cumberland Gap with Daniel Boone and also accompanied him on Jamima's rescue from the Indians.  The house is considered unusually large for the time period; most were one story cabins.  It was moved to this site in recent years.

This is what remains of the original Judgement Tree.  It had been repaired with concrete over the years along with spikes until it just went down in 1951 and moved here as its final resting place.

I have developed my own theory about why Daniel Boone was not present when Lewis and Clark and their exploration party were in the area in 1804 when he was 65 years old.  Boone was the first frontiersman and he finally settled just west of the Mississippi River about 25 miles from St. Charles.  Lewis and Clark started where Boone left off and had all the funding they wanted from the U.S. government as this new land purchase was the beginning of the biggest expansion westward.  Boone had struggled and went into debt with many hardships to get to where he and his family settled.  The glory and history of the westward expansion will show Lewis and Clark as the most important.  Without the goodwill and friendly relationships Daniel Boone made with the French and Spanish trappers and early settlers in the land, Lewis and Clark may not have had the help they needed to get as far as they did.

Daniel Boone did not like to be crowded as he left an area when more people moved in.  Lewis and Clark represented the next wave of increase moving westward and Boone was at a time of life when he wanted to enjoy peace with his family around him.  I think that if Boone had greeted the Lewis and Clark Expedition on his land in 1804, much publicity would be made of the historic moment and lead to unwanted attention.  It might even give the impression that Daniel Boone approved this westward expansion when all he may have wanted was to get as far away from civilization as he could to preserve his and his family's freedom.  Knowing that any protest about the expansion would be futile, he just made a loud statement by doing nothing and not giving Lewis and Clark the in-person support and blessing to move forward...a wise man indeed!  He lived for 20 more years in peace.

Daniel Boone's youngest son, Nathan Boone, had a list of accomplishments that included many ventures.  He owned a salt-making business with his brother known as the Boone's Lick, helped lay out some of Missouri's first roadways, served as a member of the first constitutional convention in Missouri and established himself as a capable military leader in both war and peacetime.  His final home in Ash Grove, Missouri, was a simple but comfortable log house and the land grew to more than 700 acres.  Nathan and his wife and other family members are buried near the house.