The City of Barbourville and Knox County Fiscal Court have passed resolutions in support of the historical significance of the old Boone Trace which passes through Knox County, Kentucky.

The Boone Trace was blazed by Daniel Boone and his ax men in spring 1775. It is regarded as the first road ever blazed into Kentucky for the purpose of bringing settlers to what would become the Bluegrass State. In Kentucky, the Trace passes through Cumberland Gap and winds northwards through territory that eventually became the counties of Bell, Knox, Laurel, Rockcastle and Madison.

The resolution has already received approval from most of the municipalities in the Kentucky counties the Trace passes through. The support is being sought for a grant that would lead to the establishment of motorized, bicycle and hiking trails.

“The resolution was proposed by the organization called Friends of Boone Trace,” said Knox County’s Steve Valentine, who serves on that group’s board of directors.

Valentine said the Friends of Boone Trace, Inc. works to preserve and promote the Trace and is led by its co-founder and president, Dr. John Fox of Madison County. For more information, visit the group’s website at boonetrace1775.com. Visitors can access the Boone Trace’s route in all five counties and even become a member of the organization.

“Other cities and counties have passed similar resolutions in support of the Boone Trace,” Valentine noted. “This will help us get support from the federal government, transportation department and state government. . . We’ve already had some legislation passed in Frankfort in support of this historic trail.”

Besides recognizing the historical significance of the Boone Trace, the resolutions being signed also support the organization’s application to the Bicycle and Pedestrian and Scenic Byway Programs of the State of Kentucky.

If the grant is obtained, motorized, bicycle and hiking paths will be developed that will follow the route of the historical, original Boone Trace.

“Our work on the Trace has put us ahead of the other counties,” Valentine went on to say. “The other counties have not identified the specific routes to the same extent as our county.”

This is due to the work by the Knox Historical Museum, of which Valentine is second vice president. The Museum’s current president, Michael C. Mills, has been a leader in identifying and marking the Trace in Knox County.

Visitors to the Museum’s website (knoxhistoricalmuseum.org) can use the search box located on the left side of the home page to locate a detailed listing and map of the “Boone Trace” in Knox County, Kentucky. There are also photos taken along the actual Boone Trace in Knox County and much more information.

The resolutions approved by the Knox County Fiscal Court and City of Barbourville are linked below:

Knox County Fiscal Court Resolution
Proclaiming Boone Trace as Road of Historical Significance

City of Barbourville Resolution
Proclaiming Boone Trace as Road of Historical Significance