Boone Station State Historic Site in Fayette County, Kentucky, the site of American pioneer and folk hero Daniel Boone's home of four years, has been a state park since the 1990s. But now that's all changing. The Lexington Herald Leader reports that Kentucky governor Matt Bevin closed the park and gave it to David's Fork Baptist Church last month.
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In 1779, Boone built cabins and a stockade on the 46-acre swath of land, which also contains graves of pioneers, two tobacco barns and a granite monument commemorating members of Boone's family.
The state's decision to give away the historic land without any public input or notice has some historians concerned that other sites could be next.
Sam Compton, president of The Boone Society, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that Boone Station is an important stop on the historic trail Boone surveyed in the 1770s.
"We're trying to preserve American frontier history. It's fading away," Compton said.
It's not yet known how the land will be used going forward. The pastor of David's Fork Baptist Church told the Lexington Herald-Leader church leaders are still determining what the land will be used for.
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Boone, born in 1734, marked a trail for other pioneers exploring America. The path Boone followed from the Cumberland Gap to Fort Boonesborough, Ky. is now known as Boone Trace.
The frontiersman was already revered in his lifetime. In 1784, a book outlining Boone's travels was published. Following his death in 1820, he became the subject of many tall tales. The eponymous 1960s television show starring Fess Parker made Boone an iconic figure for a whole new generation of kids, despite the fact that it took several liberties with the frontiersman's real life story.
If you want to visit more historic Daniel Boone sites, the historic Daniel Boone Home in Defiance, Mo. is open daily. Fort Boonesborough State Park, named for a nearby fort erected in 1775, is located in Richmond, Ky.
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