Daniel Boone's Homestead

My dh discovered another interesting Pennsylvania location for us to explore this fall - the Daniel Boone Homestead. I never knew it was so close to us and I was also thankful that he was willing to take Jefferson and Reagan, considering I was plenty tired in my last trimester of pregnancy (November 11, 2010). For not having studied about him prior to going on this field trip, Jefferson and Reagan were able to learn a ton from the excellent tour guide and people on site.  The rifleman and the blacksmith on site spent quite awhile answering their (and by 'their' I mean my dh's) questions. They learned that the image people have of Daniel Boone is very often inaccurate or biased by different historians. He never wore a coonskin hat (thought it was uncivilized to do so) but rather, a beaverskin hat. Any money that he earned, he usually spent poorly & quickly and didn't care for his 'white' family very well. He even had another family of kids with a native at one point in his life! The visit to this famous frontiersman's original home helped to clear up a lot of these misconceptions created by people and movies. I made Jefferson journal when he got back, because I know that he was able and I wanted him to get down on paper all that was fresh in his mind. But Reagan decided to journal because she was actually interested in all that she learned! Since she has only been working on copywork this year (no other writing) I am always thrilled when she volunteers to write, as it is still a difficult process for her to get thoughts from mind to paper.

May 1, 2011 is Children's Day so visit the website  if you're interested in a very cool field trip! There is plenty to learn and see!

Jefferson's journal:
On my trip to the Daniel Boone Homestead located in Reading, PA I was the spring cellar in the Boone house, saw the horses & sheep, saw the blacksmith shop when he was working, listened to a person tall us about Daniel & had cake & went to the rifle range.  My favorite part was the blacksmitth shop because someone was working it & he told us about it.  I also liked where the person taught us about Daniel. About halfway through his life, Daniel was captured & adopted by Indians. He had a new wife and family. Then he heard about a plan for attack on Boonsburg.  So Daniel went & warned Boonsburg but he was shot in the leg and someone brought him back to the fort to save his life. But Daniel was best known for illegally helping settlers across the gap. Most people think of Daniel Boone as really free-spirited.

Reagan's journal:
We saw the House, the smokehouse, the blacksmith, the sawmill, and a man who taught us about flintlock guns. Daniel Boone was a famous frontiers man who lived from 1734 until the 1790's. And I saw the cellar it had a spring they can use it as a fridge. And they could store food in it so that the food did not get rall [raw - lol!] and so it staes good food to eet. Thay mad lots of things at the blacksmith like nails and horseshoes and lots of other things that are useful. That is what I did on the trip.