Over the past 250 years major animal traces were very noticeable across the Eastern Kentucky landscape. This particular trace is no longer used because of the change in topography on the ridge line between Floyd and Magoffin County. The Ridgeline between these two Counties is the diving boundary that separates the Levisa River and the Licking River tributaries. The original trace still has a carved out depression, dug out from several hundred thousand hoofs of Elk, Buffalo, Deer and oh yes foot traffic by the Indian population from heavy travel from years past. The salt spring is located on Upper Lick Fork of Middle Creek. The Large Animal Trace lays just above the old salt lick Daniel Boone camp out at during the winter 1768-69. It was easy pickings for Daniel Boone. The Trace Roamers could smell the salt lick half a mile away, Boone just lay there waiting on fresh meat to come to him.

My Father, Daniel Boone

The following was written by Colonel Nathan Boone in response to several inquiries and visited in September and October 1851 made by Lyman C. Draper ( published as written)

Daniel Boone was born Berks County, Pa., Oct. 22, 1734. His ancestors Quakers.
Daniel himself was brought up with those religious views until about 17 or 18 years old.
He was son of Squire Boone who with two other brothers came from England under governor Pen about the year 1699 and married in America.
Daniel’s father kept a dairy some distance from the farm. He went there in summer and fall. Daniel was made the herdsman from the time he was 10 yrs old until the January left Pennsylvania at aboish 17 years of age. Says Daniel’s father bought him a gun when he was about 12 or 13, that he soon became expert in killing game and often neglected his duty to bring up the latter. This thing of being a herdsman and rambling through the wood first gave him an idea of the wood & becoming a hunter. He had little or no education but he could Read and Spell a little-which was Taught him by his Sister-in law Samuel Boone’s wife. He was between 17 & 18 when family moved to North Carolina.
I don’t know certainly that Daniel Boone ever resided in Virginia before going to North Carolina
Daniel Boone took no part in the French and Indian wars which extended to the Carolinas. He was out under General G. Washington and General Braddock in 1755 against Fort Duqu [the rest of this word is missing not as a soldier but a teamster-note in margin says: “On this campaign he obtained from a Trader (name not recollected) account the Ohio River & the great falls.” This note appears to be in Nathan Boone’s writing]. I don’t think that Daniel Boone ever forted on the Yadkin-Daniel Boone was not on either Colonel Montgomery’s or Colonel Grants Expeditions against the Cherokees.
I do not think that Daniel Boone took any part in the war of the Regulators against
Governor Tryon of N. Carolina.
The Boone family settled in North Carolina 1752 when Daniel past most of his time in the woods hunting not only because he fancied that kind of Roving but he made it somewhat profitable as Deer skins and furs were very valuable at that time. In the Spring of 1756 he married Rebecca Bryan, daughter of Joseph Bryan of the Yadkin-settled a small farm on the Yadkin where he Remained for some years, Still following his favorite Persuits hunting. The fall of 1767 he and one William Hill crossed the Mountain with the intention of Seeing the Ohio River. They fell on the Big Sandy and knowing from its cours that it must Run into the Ohio thay continued down it as thay supposed one hundred miles whare they ware Ketched in a Snow Storm and had to Remain the Winter (here he saw the first Buffalo) in the Spring thay Returned to the Yadkin without accomplishing their object—nor did he know for some years afterward what River they had wintered on. n Summer of 1768 or [ink blot] he made a trip to Florida in compny with three other men William Hill and Houghton [?] the third man’s name not Recollected. The object was to explore the countary, they visited Pensacola and traveled a few days journey up the St. Jons River but not liking the countary Returned that fall .I am not Certain that this is the pricise date of his Florida trip.
I never heard Daniel Boone was of any trip cross the mountains except the one above mentioned nor did he come out with a large party of explorers previous to his long hunt.
I am unable to state whare Finley was from, but I am inclined to believe that Finley was the man that gave him the information of the Ohio River when on Braddock’s Campaign in ’55 and that he was not a French man but an Englishman. When Finley and my father met (as I believe a second time) in 1768 he Finley told my father that there must be a better way a cross the mountains than the one he had attempted to go as the Cherokee Indians frequently went to war against the Northern Indians; thay then made an agreement to raise a small party and make an attempt to cross the mountains further to the westward—Finley describing the Ohio River as knowing something of it did not appear to know the interior of the Countary.
I can not describe my father’s Station Camp in Kentucky in 1769 & 70 precisely. It was on the Right or near the right bank of the Kentucky River and near the mouth of Red River. I don’t Recollect of ever hearing him say that he camped in a Rockhouse near Harrodsburgh—it may be so; for it is a very common thing for hunters to do so. Whilst left alone he did not Remain at what thay called their Station Camp, and seldom staid two nights in a place after Stuart left him he didn’t hunt game as he had very little ammunition Stuart’s Returning to North Carolina was tor ammunition as thay had lost all 9 by the
Indians finding their Station Camp while absent on a Reconituring Tour I think it was in the latter part of the year 1769 whilst on this Reconituring Tour that the Indians stole my father & Stuart’s horses thay followed the Indians two days, and at night sole from the Indians some of their horses; the Indians, in turn, persued them and made them both prisoners, Kept them in confinement two days when they made their Escape by Jumping into a Canebrake while the Indians were gathering wood to kindle a fire on their return to their Station Camp thay found the camp plundered of everything in making their esape that evening my father got holt of a Indian gun in stead of his own and which was of but little use though he could make out to kill his meat with it. I think it was at this Station Camp whare Finley and party Separated from my father Shortly after they had established it as a Station Camp. Finley, Mooney and two or three others went on to Green River to hunt and trap My father met with Finley afterwards either on the Green River or the Big Barren. Wheather this was before or after Squire Boone joined him or not 1 am unable to say.
I allways understood my father to say that only one man accompanied Squire Boone in 1770 I think he was by the name of Neely, and he returned in a short time to North Carolina.
Carolina alone. Jesse Boone didn’t accompany Squire Boone-he lived and died in North Carolina.
My father nor party ware not employed to explore Kentucky in 1769 or 70 but my father was imployed by Henderson & Co. in 1774-75 and afterwards.
John Stuart parted with my father shortly after they had made their escape from the Indians; he was to return at a Certain Time they ware to meet at a certain Camp (not their Station Camp) but lower down the Kentucky River I think where they were then several was Easily during by Roads leading to them. I think it was while a lone that he visited the upper & lower Blue Licks & the Falls of Ohio before the time appointed to meet Stuart in the neighbourhood of their old Station Camp whare he loitered about untill the appointed time to meet Stuart the place appointed to meet was on the Right bank of the Kentucky River he went to the place appointed supposited heat i thin heir being see of the timer. In the a few days the River was high, got within its banks when my father Crossed and found where a fire had been made a few days previous and in looking Round found the two first Letters of Stuarts name cut on a tree. About one Month after Stuart parted with my father Squire Boone and Neely met with my father) nothing more was known a bout Stuart untill the Spring of 1775 when my Father and party were marking out a Road; they Reached within a few miles of the Kentucky River. After takin up Camp one of the party discovered the bones of a Man in a hollow tree, thay found Stuart’s powder horn lying a mongst the bones My father recognized the horn; it aliso had Stuart’s name cut on it. On examining the bones they found one of the arm bones broken and the mark of Lead on it My father came to the conclusion that Stuart had been wounded at the place appointed whare they ware to meet.
My father had no stated place of incampment after Stuart and Squire Boone Left but Rambled over a great deal of the countary. I never heard my father speak of escaping Captivity by jumping down a precipice-nor escaping by throwing tobacco in the Indians eyes.
I canot say what became of any of my fathers early Companions Except Mooney, I understood that he was Killed at the Battle of 74 at the mouth of the Great Kanhaway.
They visited Green River I think in 71 and met what is calld the Long hunters—I
Canot Say anything as to their meeting.
I have heard my Father speak of being Robed by the indians while himself and Stuart ware together & again while Squire Boone and himself ware alone the particulars I Canot relate.
In 1773 when my Father set out for Kentucky with his famaly there was a Mr. William Russell who agreed to join him on the way with a small party of emigrants. James Boone my Brother was sent by Russells to inform him of my father’s departure, James within a day’s travel of my father on the 9th of October 73, James Boone and Six or Seven fathers party-On the morning of the 10th awhile before day thay ware fell on by a party the dier four Recoleted Hemes Bool was in his her eat will he was killed. of Nathan Boone