September 26, 1820: Daniel Boone Dies in Missouri

Frontiersman Daniel Boone died in Missouri on September 26, 1820, at age 85. Thanks to a colorful biographical sketch by John Filson, Boone was already one of America’s most famous pioneers when he moved to Point Pleasant in 1788.

While living there, Boone represented Kanawha County in the Virginia General Assembly, served as a lieutenant colonel in the Virginia militia, and won a contract to supply militia companies in Western Virginia.

Throughout his life, though, Boone had problems with business and money. In 1792, he lost his contract for militia supplies, largely due to bad credit. He and his family then moved to the present-day Kanawha City section of Charleston and spent much of his time trapping and hunting.

In 1795, Daniel Boone moved to Kentucky, where he’d found earlier fame as a trailblazer and Indian negotiator. However, his stay in Kentucky didn’t last long. In 1799, Mason County issued a warrant for his arrest relating back to his debts in Point Pleasant. To put distance between himself and authorities, Daniel Boone moved his family to Missouri, where he lived out the rest of his days.