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50@50 – Boone Country, KY

There is a saying that history is written by the winners. During any conflict, one version of “the facts” grow to mythical proportions, while the realities of the opposition are scattered like dust in the wind.  During the American Revolution, the American rebels fought not only for freedom to govern themselves as the 13 American states, but the freedom to pursue settlement into the lands that the British, in the Royal Proclamation of 1763, had determined would remain an Indian Reserve. All settlers in the territory were supposed to leave the territory or get official permission to stay.

Map of the United States portion of the Indian Reserve in 1775 after Quebec laid claim to the land north of the Ohio River

That didn’t stop the Americans from pursuing settlement anyway. The Appalachian Mountains were a westward barrier. An old animal and Indian trail led Thomas Walker to a natural gap in the southwest Virginia section of the mountains in 1750.  Daniel Boone opened up the trail and created a road into Tennessee and Kentucky through what is now known as Cumberland Gap.  Native Americans had lived in this region for thousands of years.  As a natural corridor, the gap saw the migration of many different cultures.  A series of treaties with Native tribes in the 1770’s opened up present West Virginia and eastern Kentucky.[4]

I spent two days hiking in southeastern Kentucky – a full day exploring Cumberland Gap. Between 1780 and 1810, over 200,000 people crossed the gap heading west.  Some stayed, and their diverse backgrounds and their interaction with this land result in a culture rich in tradition, art and music. I am continually on the hunt for unique musical experiences in the places I visit.

Appalachia music is unique. English, Irish and Scottish lowland immigrants brought the musical traditions of their homelands. These traditions included unaccompanied ballads, and dance music  accompanied by a fiddle. Ballads were typically written to reflect news events of the day, and social problems common in late 19th-century and early 20th-century mining towns – truly an example of how land shapes culture. One of the most iconic symbols of Appalachian culture— the banjo— was brought to the region by African American slaves in the 18th century.  They infused characteristics of the blues to the old folk songs, which along with the banjo were instrumental to shaping the bluegrass sound.[5]

In 1940 when the National Historical Park was created, a major highway passed through the gap compromising the landscape. To correct this, a tunnel was built in 1996, which now reroutes the highway under the landscape, which the park service restored to its 1810 topography.

The park contains over 70 miles of trails, including the stunning 30+ mile ridge trail.  I chose to explore several smaller trails. The Object Lesson Road trail was built to increase understanding of road construction. We connected to the Wilderness Road trail, which is the trail that Boone established. The climb to the top of tri-state peak was short and rewarding.  Go early before the skies become too hazy. Switching to the Harlan Road trail, we climbed the challenging, but short (.8 miles) Fort McCook trail up to Fort Lyon, Pinnacle Overlook and Powell Valley Overlook. We hiked about 5½ miles, but the route up to Fort Lyon could be climbed in your car, saving 1.6 miles.

The Cumberland Gap’s natural corridor enabled the migration of animals and people.  The land, its promise its hardship and its resources have all contributed to the survival of the thousands of people who have passed through and left their own existing threads and sounds of culture, originating in these mountains.[6]