The Weekday Ramble is a daily dose of sports, music, culture, and more from Rambling On founder Erik Ritland. For more information check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.
Tuesday August 25, 2015
Some #FunFacts about Daniel Boone to continue my current obsession with history.
The beginning
Almost like his early biography would make the perfect beginning of a folk song, Daniel Boone learned how to chop wood by the time he was five, cared for his father's cows by 10, and was taught survival skills by Delaware Indians throughout his childhood. Now that's rustic.
Go on now, get
Daniel Boone is credited with discovering the Cumberland Gap through the Appalachian mountains. The problem: the Swanee Indians were already there. Instead of killing him, as they did with most trespassers, they let him live and told him to never come back.
What's in a name?
Boone's nickname was Tick Licker. I know what you're thinking: sweet nickname! And also, what the hell does it mean? Well it's a joke – the idea is that he was so good with a rifle that he could shoot a tick off an animal's back. I'm so tempted to start a band called Erik Ritland and His Tick Lickers.
Deceit
Contrary to popular belief Boone wore a beaver hat, not a coonskin hat. I feel so duped.
The end
After his early travels and military escapades Boone settled down. He bought and sold land, was a surveyor, traded horses, and hunted. He died in 1820 at the age of 86. His last words: “My time has come, I’m going.” That would be the name of the folk song that the first fact began.
Sources
http://www.softschools.com/facts/biography/daniel_boone_facts/847/
http://apecsec.org/5-interesting-facts-about-daniel-boone/
http://ohmygodfacts.com/7-interesting-daniel-boone-facts
http://www.booneassociation.com/timeline.html
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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