The Rippin'est, Roarin'est, Fightin'est Man the Frontier Ever Knew

In the spring of 2004, I went seeking Daniel Boone's grave in Missouri, but was thwarted by poor signage and the fact that I had to be back in St. Louis to catch a plane (see April 6, 2004 of BTST). This year on July 5, toward the end of our day in Frankfort, Ky., I sought out Daniel Boone's other grave. I wasn't going to miss it a second time in a second place. The rest of my family, not nearly as enthusiastic about cemetery tourism as I am, stayed at the motel to rest.

Luckily, the Frankfort Cemetery, which rings a bluff overlooking Kentucky River, downtown, and the commonwealth's capitol building, was easy to find. A fine cemetery it is, too, with an assortment of stones and trees to go along with that overlook. Moreover, signs point the way to the BOONE MEMORIAL all along the cemetery's small roads, so that Daniel and Rebecca are also easy to find. It's as if to say, he's here, dammit. Missouri has no claim on him.

Unless, of course, Boone really is in Missouri. Both states claim him, and I'm in no position to judge authoritatively. Neither is anyone else (see "Who's Buried in Daniel Boone's Grave?"). Maybe DNA could settle the question, but as far as I know, no one's seriously proposed testing old Daniel's putative bones in either place.

The light wasn't ideal for a photo of the stone, which is sizable and handsome. However, this fellow took some shots that capture the site very well. While I didn't get a good image of the Boone memorial, I did think the light was right to record an image of one of Boone's neighbors, mere steps away -- one A. James Higgs Jr., a much more recent resident. Living hands had recently adorned his stone with a hat.

Acknowledge the famous, but don't ignore the obscure.