The Wilderness Road

First known as Boone's Trace after the famous frontiersman Daniel Boone, the Wilderness Road was one of the most important migratory pathways in the history of our country. "Today, an estimated 43 millions Americans can trace their lineage to pioneers who migrated along the Wilderness Road," among them many of my own ancestors, making their way from the southeast, ultimately arriving In Texas. For my East Tennessee ancestors, the Cumberland Gap was practically in their own back yard. In her article, "The Wilderness Road," Melissa Slate provides a history of the Wilderness Road and its impact of westward migration.