Wichita eagle., 1888-04-27
DANIEL BooNE,s BLocKHOUsE.


How the Noted Pioneer of Kentucky Pro-
tected His FamiIy-An Indian Plan.
Boone began building his blockhouse here
on the 1st day of April, 1775. The old pioneer
chose wisely his location, and, with an eye
only to its utility, chose also one Of the love
hest spots in the state l don't suppose he
had much time to go, like Dr. Syntax, In
search of the picturesque, but it happened in
this instance that he found it without seek
ing You can plainly see to this day the
marks of the old blockhouse on the ground.
and little digging in the soft earth with
cane will bring up ashes and bits OF Old pot
tery from the spots where the old freplaces
were. SO there is no obscurlty about the
matter. You may stand, if you wish, on the
veritable Nebo from which old Boone viewed
his promised land, and you may be sure your
foot is placed on the very soil trodden by the
brave men and Drawer women who founded
this famous commonwealth more than hum
dred years ago.
Of course the chief things considered by
those who built bloclzbouses were the conven-
fences Of water fuel and provisions, and also
an unobstructed view on all sides. Standing
here Oh the site of the fort, you can see at
glance how all :heSe advantages are combined
in this location. You stand perhaps hun
bred wards from the wave Of the Kentucky
river, and perhaps forty feet above the
waters edge, for the bank slopes up from the
swift flowing stream to the very walls Of the
fort To the east and south the land is level,
with not gully or a bank in it large enough
TO conceal man for half a mile in both
directions In this fertile river bottom Boone
had his cornlield and raised his bread at the
very door of his castle. On the west the
ground sloVes slowly down to the unfailing
spring whence the garrison usually got their
supply of water A well sunk inside the fort
20 the level of this spring, say twenty feet
in depth, would, and | believe did, fur
nish bountiful quantity Of water when
besiegers rendered access to the spring
impossible. All around are high hills
like the rim OF a deep plate, but
none of them near enough TO per-
nit the guns used in former days to send a
bullet into the fort. No foe can approach
except to come over the rising ground where
ae can be easily seen from the upper windows
Of the blockhouse. Just across the river rises
the nearest "knob, about 400 feet above the
water, and perhaps as many yards from the
fort in a straight line. A man on top of it
would be outlined against the sky like q sill
houette, for the sun rises over it in the morn
ing and sets against it in the evening
Altogether this location is just such as you
would expect of man of Boone's great good
sense to select. 1t gives him every advantage
and puts his assailants at the mercy of the
garrison. 1t is related that once the Indians
attempted to undermine the fort by digging
tunnel from the steep offset of the river bank;
but the dirt which they were compelled to
throw into the river discolored the water and
so betra yed their designs. No trick nor de-
vice could be successfully used against the
people in the fort, for the sharp eyed pioneers
had the vantage ground.-Boonesboro (ky.)
Cor. Chicago Times.