LEXINGTON, N.C. — A hidden secret in the woods just west of Lexington ties our area to some pretty cool things in history. About a 10-minute hike takes you back in time to when North Carolina was a colony. Local folklore has it that from 1750 to 1753, a teenager named Daniel Boone and his family lived in this cave.
Right off the Yadkin River, the about 20-foot-deep cave would make for great shelter from the elements, but the mystery around the area is deeper than the cave itself. So we asked the Davidson County Historical Museum’s Curator, Caitlin Williams-Cole, to shed some light on the legend.
“The local legend has a few versions,” she said. “One is that the Boone family lived there until they acquired the land to build a home. Another is that Daniel Boone stayed there while hunting. Another version is that Daniel Boone hid in the cave from hostile Native Americans.”
Williams-Cole said there is possible proof Boone lived in Davidson County. In 1908, a Lexington woman found a property deed in an old cabinet she inherited from her grandfather.
“This deed has Daniel Boone’s authentic signature on it here,” Williams-Cole said. “Unfortunately, the pieces that we have left of this document are not enough to tell us what piece of land was actually of interest here. It is possible that we’re going to find that her relative lived on the other side of the Yadkin River. We know that the Boone family lived in present-day Yadkin and Davie County. It could very well be that her relative lived there too.”
But the deed matched with local stories handed down from generation to generation. And that got some to search the area around the caves. One man thought he knew where the house was that the Boone family built after living in caves. He found a stone nearby with the initials DB carved into it.
Researchers have since concluded there’s no way to confirm the rock was carved at the same time as Daniel Boone might have lived there. However, it was enough evidence for the locals to create the Daniel Boone Memorial Association in 1909. They lobbied the state to create Boone Cave Park.
“I believe 100% that he was here. As far as him living here, we’ve yet to find the proof,” Williams-Cole said. “We have a lot of circumstantial evidence. We’re just waiting for that one piece that we need to really prove he’s here. And that’s where this document comes in.”
For the first time ever featured on TV news, is a newly discovered land survey that references the Boone property during the time in question.
“It also mentions Sandy Creek. And local people know we have a Sandy Creek in Davidson County today,” Williams-Cole said. “However, the names of the creeks have changed several times between today and 1752, so this is a piece of evidence that needs to be researched further.”
True or not, parkgoers like Patrica Williams say the cave is a fun way to step back and look at our area’s rich history.
“It’s a good story and it’s a good way to get people to come out and enjoy the wilderness and the trees and everything else,” Williams said. “Whether it’s true or not, I like the story around it.”