Boone, North Carolina
| Location | |
|---|---|
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Watauga (county seat) |
| Region | Blue Ridge Mountains |
| History | |
| Named for | Daniel Boone |
| Incorporated | 1872 |
| Population | |
| 2020 census | 19,092 |
| Other | |
| Elevation | about 3,330 ft (1,015 m) |
| Known for | Appalachian State University |
Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the state's northwest. Named for the frontiersman Daniel Boone, it had a population of 19,092 at the 2020 census.[1] It is home to Appalachian State University.
History[edit]
Daniel Boone and early settlement[edit]
Daniel Boone hunted in the region in the 1760s and 1770s, and local tradition holds that he camped near the site of the present town. Settlers from the Piedmont and from Virginia moved into the high valleys of the Watauga and New rivers in the late 18th century.[2]
County seat[edit]
Watauga County was created in 1849, and Boone was chosen as its seat. The town was incorporated in 1872.[2] Its high, remote location kept it small and difficult to reach throughout the 19th century.
Civil War[edit]
The mountain counties were deeply divided during the Civil War. In March 1865 Union cavalry under General George Stoneman passed through Boone at the start of Stoneman's Raid into western North Carolina and Virginia.[3]
Appalachian State University[edit]
In 1899 the brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty founded Watauga Academy in Boone. The school grew into a state teacher-training institution, became Appalachian State Teachers College in 1929 and Appalachian State University in 1967, and joined the University of North Carolina system in 1971.[2][4] The university's growth has shaped the town's economy and population since the mid-20th century.
Culture and tourism[edit]
The outdoor drama Horn in the West, which tells the story of Daniel Boone and the region's early settlers, has been staged in Boone each summer since 1952.[2] The guitarist Doc Watson, born in nearby Deep Gap, is commemorated by a statue downtown. The Blue Ridge Parkway, nearby ski areas and the surrounding national forest land make the Boone area a center of year-round mountain tourism.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau. 2020 Census of Population and Housing.
- ^ “Boone.” NCpedia. State Library of North Carolina.
- ^ North Carolina Office of Archives and History. Stoneman's Raid. North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program.
- ^ Powell, William S., ed. Encyclopedia of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.