Legendary Daniel Boone Came To Michigan in 1778

The two major and legendary frontiersmen from the 1700s were Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. This time around we're focusing on Daniel Boone.

Born in 1734 in Pennsylvania, Daniel spent the best part of his life in Kentucky, where he cut the trail known as Wilderness Road and founded Boonesborough in 1778. Being happy where he was, with his wife and ten kids, Boone had no reason to travel north into Michigan territory. Nevertheless, in 1778 Daniel did indeed arrive in Michigan, but not of his own accord...he was taken - as a prisoner - to Detroit.

How did that come to be?

Boone's notoriety as a sharpshooter and educated man made him well-known throughout Kentucky and elsewhere. When other settlers began arriving at Boonesborough on their way west, they decided to stay. Boonesborough began as a fort for protection during the British Revolution, with war breaking out in 1775.

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Even though Daniel was admired by Native Americans, he occasionally had encounters with them, not all friendly. According to absolutemichigan, one particular time he was captured and taken prisoner by the Shawnee tribe. When they realized who he was, they let him live. Even so, they kept him as their prisoner and headed north. Since his capture took place a few years into the Revolutionary War, the tribe took Daniel to a British post in Detroit on April 5, 1778.

Again, Boone's fame preceded him and the impressed British commander tried in vain to buy Boone away from the Shawnees. After refusing, the Shawnees and Daniel remained in Detroit for ten days before heading out. Even though Boone was still a prisoner, the Shawnee chief thought enough of him, that he adopted Boone into the tribe and gave him the name “Big Turtle”.

After staying a prisoner in Ohio for four months, Daniel finally escaped and traveled back to Boonesborough. Four years later – in 1782 – a group of Michigan Native Americans and Detroiters went down to Kentucky and defeated Boone's group of Kentuckians at Blue Lick. After this battle, the war soon ended...Boone then left Boonesborough and moved to Missouri where he wrote his autobiography and spent the last of his days.