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Photo courtesy of Luke Moore.
The Lee County Natural Bridge in Southwest Virginia, documented in the 1770s as a stop for travelers and their horses, will be part of the 250th Boone Trace Commemoration to honor Daniel Boone’s journey through the Appalachian frontier.
To mark the 250th anniversary of Boone and his axemen carving the path from Tennessee to Kentucky, teams of explorers are following in their historic footsteps. Starting from Kingsport, Tennessee, on April 23, teams will hike roughly 10 miles daily, symbolically passing an axe along the way to Fort Boonesborough, Kentucky, just southeast of Lexington. Along the 250-mile route, special events will be held to honor the pioneers of westward expansion.
On May 3, the 11th day of the relay hike, the ceremonial axe will be carried from the Jonesville Courthouse to the natural bridge landmark located in The Cedars Natural Area Preserve. Participants can view impressive geological features and learn about ongoing landscape restoration work to bring back the plant communities in this area that were recorded along the trail in the 1700s. Preregistration is required for the event, which is free to the public and includes lunch. To learn more and sign up to hike, visit BooneTrace250.com.
This location is believed to be described by British Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton (1734-1796) in diary entries he made during his journey as a prisoner being transported to Williamsburg, Virginia.
“The road passes over the natural Bridge, which is hollowed into several arched cavities, some of a considerable dimension,” Hamilton wrote on April 27, 1779, describing a “pretty stream and cheerfull scene.”
History buff Luke Moore, of Paducah, Kentucky, researched the background of the area as he was digging into the route that Captain William Russell (1735-1793) and his family likely took in an ill-fated attempt to settle into Kentucky in 1773.
Moore and his wife Rhonda visited Lee County in 2023 to follow the trail themselves and obtained permission to visit The Cedars. They are returning next month, when Moore will present his research at a meeting of the Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society.
“You can feel the history,” he said, recalling his visit to the natural bridge. “It was absolutely gorgeous. We were taken aback at how pristine the area is. The Cedars Natural Area Preserve really stood out due to its natural beauty, and especially the ability to see the Natural Bridge as it would have appeared to the 1773 travelers.
“Henry Hamilton wrote of this beautiful spot in his 1779 journal,” Moore said, “and his description matches the scenery of today.”
The Cedars Natural Area Preserve, Natural Tunnel State Park and Wilderness Road State Park are stops along the route, offering special educational programs and living history demonstrations to commemorate America’s first frontier.
Categories
Conservation | Land Conservation | Natural Heritage | Nature
