(1734-1820), frontiersman. A pioneer in the early years of the new nation, Boone explored and settled Kentucky. His Wilderness Road wound through the Appalachians, serving as the main route to the West for many years. In 1775 Boone chose a site near the Kentucky River to build Boonesboro, which grew into the principal settlement of the region. Boone became a major symbol of the rugged frontiersman.
