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''[[United States|United States ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[ | ''[[United States|United States ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads ]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Wilderness_Road|Wilderness Road]]'' | ||
Daniel Boone and 35 axmen blazed a trail called the '''Wilderness Road''' from Virginia through the Cumberland Gap and into central Kentucky for the Transylvania Company. When the trail opened in 1775 it became the route of 70,000 settlers who came to Kentucky on foot or horseback before the trail was upgraded to wagon road in 1796.<ref name="WildpediaRd">Wikipedia contributors, "Wilderness Road" in ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_Road (accessed August 4, 2010).</ref>[[Image:Wilderness Road Map.png|650px]][[Image:{{CumberG}}]] | Daniel Boone and 35 axmen blazed a trail called the '''Wilderness Road''' from Virginia through the Cumberland Gap and into central Kentucky for the Transylvania Company. When the trail opened in 1775 it became the route of 70,000 settlers who came to Kentucky on foot or horseback before the trail was upgraded to wagon road in 1796.<ref name="WildpediaRd">Wikipedia contributors, "Wilderness Road" in ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_Road (accessed August 4, 2010).</ref>[[Image:Wilderness Road Map.png|650px]][[Image:{{CumberG}}]] | ||
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=== Historical Background === | === Historical Background === | ||
In 1774 Judge Richard Henderson, a land speculator of North Carolina, hired Daniel Boone to blaze a trail through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. The '''Wilderness Road''' started at Bristol, Virginia (splitting off the [[Great Valley Road]]) and headed west along the Virginia-Tennessee border to the Cumberland Gap, across the nearby Cumberland River, and then went northwest to Boonesborough, Kentucky. Eventually, | In 1774 Judge Richard Henderson, a land speculator of North Carolina, hired Daniel Boone to blaze a trail through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. The '''Wilderness Road''' started at Bristol, Virginia (splitting off the [[Great Valley Road]]) and headed west along the Virginia-Tennessee border to the Cumberland Gap, across the nearby Cumberland River, and then went northwest to Boonesborough, Kentucky. Eventually, a western spur of the road would reach Harrodsburg, and then Louisville, Kentucky on the Falls of the Ohio River. | ||
The road crossed difficult mountains, rushing rivers, and ran through Indian lands. Both hostile Indians and white robbers were problems, so many people chose to travel the road in large groups. But the risks were worth taking for the rewards of bountiful hunting grounds, rich farmland, and good salt licks.<ref name="WildpediaRd" /> | The road crossed difficult mountains, rushing rivers, and ran through Indian lands. Both hostile Indians and white robbers were problems, so many people chose to travel the road in large groups. But the risks were worth taking for the rewards of bountiful hunting grounds, rich farmland, and good salt licks.<ref name="WildpediaRd" /> | ||
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'''Later west fork:''' | '''Later west fork:''' | ||
*Harrodsburg, Mercer, Kentucky | *Harrodsburg, Mercer, Kentucky | ||
*Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky | *Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky | ||