Dressed in a short linen gown, petticoat, and cap, a historical interpreter flips a johnnycake in a cast-iron skillet. She’s standing outside of a small 1825 log cabin that marks the entrance to Mocksville’s historic district. Nearby, a local musician holds a fiddle to his left shoulder, just below the brim of his wool hat — a subtle nod to one of the Yadkin Valley’s most famous residents.
If the Daniel Boone Festival teaches attendees just one thing today, it should be that the famous frontiersman did not — historians repeat, did not — wear a coonskin cap.
In 2006, a group of local business owners, town officials, and volunteers were looking for a way to celebrate the 250th wedding anniversary of Daniel and Rebecca Boone. The couple married at the Boone family cabin, which was situated near the banks of Bear Creek in modern-day Mocksville. The group also wanted to pay homage to the family’s influence in the area — there are still Boones residing in North Carolina today. So they organized an event in Mocksville’s town square, where the community could gather to enjoy local food and learn about one of the country’s greatest frontiersmen’s life in Davie County.
About five minutes down the road, on U.S. Highway 64, local historian Mark Hager is sharing that history. As one of two guides who lead history tours during the festival, he escorts his group to a white picket fence near a historical marker identifying Boone Tract. He explains that the area around them was part of the 640 acres that Daniel’s father, Squire, purchased in 1753. A long, narrow creek ran through the property, which is believed to be the site where Daniel and Rebecca married and built a home for themselves and their eight children.
In this home, Rebecca cared for the children, cooked bacon and bear meat over an open hearth, and treated cuts and bruises with herbal remedies like lamb’s ear. She had plenty to keep her busy as she waited for Daniel to return after long hunting trips in the mountains and from trading animal pelts at the closest market in Salisbury.
After living in the Yadkin Valley for 21 years, Daniel was lured away by a new frontier. Yet centuries after his departure, his homeland still celebrates his family and their way of life. Missouri may be his final resting place, and Kentucky wouldn’t be the same without him, but it’s the backcountry of North Carolina where Daniel Boone became a fearless frontiersman.
Daniel Boone Festival — May 4
Downtown Mocksville, NC 27028
(336) 753-6700
mocksvillenc.org/daniel-boone-festival
More to Explore: To find more May events, visit ourstate.com/calendar.
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