Into the Wilderness
Into the Wilderness
Into the Wilderness
The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association in conjunction with Scott County’s VA250 Committee and Natural Tunnel State Park will help participants prepare for the arduous journey “Into the Wilderness” on April 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Scheduled demonstrations include soap making, spinning linen, making lead shot, garden preparation, making salt, and more. Visitors will be able to gather their own survival supplies for their trip “Into the Wilderness.” Gather at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse, located within Natural Tunnel State Park, with Daniel Boone to prepare for your journey “Into the Wilderness” on April 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On March 10, 1775, Boone and 30 axmen left the Long Island of the Holston for a 250-mile trek through the wilderness to the Falls of Ohio, near present-day Lexington, Kentucky. The goal was to create a trace or pathway for others to follow, thus opening the region for westward migration. During this journey, one of the key locations for Boone and his companions was a stop at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse, home of Capt. John and Rebecca Anderson in Scott County, Virginia. Anderson’s Blockhouse would ultimately become a starting point for approximately 300,000 migrants taking the Wilderness Road and leading the westward expansion of the United States.
Daniel Boone will be on-hand to discuss what migrants might encounter on their journey. Captain John and Rebecca Anderson, owners of the Blockhouse, will welcome visitors to their home and share their experiences of living on the wilderness frontier.
The event is free and is an official event of the VA250, marking the 250th Celebration of Boone’s historic expedition to create the Wilderness Road.
250th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party Sunday, October 1st, 2pm. till 4pm
Step back in time and experience a Colonial American Tea Party.
The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association, in partnership with Scott County 250 and Natural Tunnel State Park, is hosting a Colonial Era Tea Party featuring renowned historian and interpreter Pam Eddy. Ms. Eddy had 27 years of experience as a historic interpreter with the National Park Service at Cumberland Gap and now operates her own independent business in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.
The Tea Party will feature the period of tea made famous in 1773 by the Boston Tea Party and will include historic interpretations of the social and political issues surrounding that event. Attendees are welcome to dress in period attire and bring their own heirloom tea cups if desired. The program is geared toward those 18 and over. Three tea servings are planned along with “biscuits.”
The Tea Party will be held at The Daniel Boone Interpretive Center, 371 Technology Trail Ln., Duffield, Va.; on Sunday, October 1st from 2pm till 4pm. Sitting is limited and advanced registration is encouraged.
Tickets are $20.00 in advance or $25.00 at the door, if available. Seating is limited to 50 people.
Come and sip a cup of Colonial Bohea tea, hear the sordid history of the British East India Tea Company, and learn “proper tea etiquette “ of the era.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association is currently looking to recruit new members with a variety of skill sets. Join members of the DBWTA and members of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center Foundation for the Dedication of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center Research Room on Sunday, May 21st at 2pm. There will be historic demonstrations, a book sale, refreshments, and DBWTA volunteer recruitment.
Frontier Muster & Trade Faire – CANCELLED
Dear Members and Friends of DBWTA,
It is with great disappointment and a heavy heart that I must inform you of the cancellation of all April events sponsored by the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association. This includes the April association meeting, all committee meetings, and, unfortunately, the Spring Muster planned for April 25, 26, and 27.
We have always thought of the Muster as a sort of “homecoming event” for all our re-enactor friends at the beginning of the living history event season, and for that reason, we are especially disappointed. However, we are committed to making the most responsible decisions possible, following federal, state, and DCR guidelines, to help defeat this horrible virus.
I hope we can continue to stay connected through email and social media until brighter days are with us once more.
I send prayers for good health, courage, and comfort to each and every one of you and your families as we all walk this difficult path.
God’s Peace,
Joan Short, President
Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association
CANCELLATION – Old Christmas at the Blockhouse
Due to inclement weather the Old Christmas program has been cancelled.
Frontier Harvest Festival – October 26th
The Frontier Harvest Festival will be held at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse at Natural Tunnel State Park on October 26th from 1 – 5 p.m. Come immerse yourself in the sites and sounds of late 18th century life on the frontier. Various demonstrations will be ongoing throughout the entirety of the event. There is no charge for admission and the event is child-friendly.
For more information please call 276-940-1643 or send us an email.
About the book: The Blockhouse On The Holston
The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association has published a history of the Blockhouse that was built in 1775 on the North Fork of the Holston by John Anderson. His fortified home became a landmark along the road west, the Wilderness Road, marked by Daniel Boone that same year. Over the next thirty years, some 300,000 people passed Anderson’s home on their journey through Cumberland Gap and on into what would become the state of Kentucky, and further westward.
William L. Anderson, a direct descendant of John, has written a well-researched book that tells the story, the history of the home that became known to posterity as “The Blockhouse,” and its part in the expansion westward of our new nation. The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association is proud to offer this book that tells, for the first time in such detail, the very significant part played in our nation’s history by the pioneer settlers of the western frontier during the last quarter of the eighteenth century.
Also included in the book are many brief biographies of significant players in the story, maps, an article on Fort Blackmore, and the diary of early explorer Dr. Thomas Walker.
The book may be purchased for $19.95 at Natural Tunnel State Park at the Visitor’s Center and at the Wilderness Road Blockhouse Interpretive Center (276-940-2674) and at the law offices of Lisa Ann McConnell in Duffield. Or contact Robert E. McConnell at roberte@mounet.com or 276-452-4520