THE WILDERNESS ROAD

CREDITS:
Research by
Reiley Kidd, MD,
and Sandra Kidd on the
Kidds of Virginia 1646-1850, http://www.kiddroots.org

Our KIDD family's Tennessee home place in Blount County is of course just a hoot 'n holler south of Knoxville. Knoxville being better suited for larger cash crop farming, our Kidds apparently moved on a bit further south where the rich land was good for small family farms.

THEY CAME DOWN THE WILDERNESS ROAD

It's fascinating and inspiring to realize that our KIDD kinfolks were real, actual pioneers like so many other families of that day and time! Some of the trails and roads they must have had to follow were meager improvements over the buffalo paths and native American trails they had grown from. It should be a point of pride that KIDDs were a part of early colonial America and of the settling of the new nation, the United States!

But you have to wonder, how did our Kidd ancestors travel from colonial Virginia to Tennessee? On foot? Horseback? By wagon? We don't really know, but probably all three. What trails or roads did they actually have to follow? What dangers did they face along the way? That story reveals some very interesting history.

Everybody loves the stories about Daniel Boone and how he and a group of 30 axe-wielding frontiersmen blazed a trail through wild, untouched wilderness that was eventually improved into a wagon road from Virginia and across the Appalachian mountains into Kentucky that became known as the famous Wilderness Road. In October of 1773, part of Boone's working/hunting party became separated from the main group and was attacked by a band of Delaware, Shawnee, and Cherokee. All except two were killed, and Boone's son, James, who was with them was killed also in that raid.
(James Boone historical marker)

'Road to Kaintuck', a song by Johnny Cash, describes the heart and spirit of the hardy folks who were a part of the great western expansion from the northern colonies and Virginia.

But what most folks don't know is that Boone's work, while historically significant, was only a part of a much longer migration path that led from New England and through the Middle Colonies to what was then the unsettled western frontier of southwest Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

The northernmost part was the Great Wagon Road, also sometimes called the Great Warriors' Path, Valley Pike, Carolina Road, or Trading Path among other names. It was the most important Colonial American route for settlers from New England headed west and south for the mountainous back country frontier.

The Great Wagon Road (<--read more here) stretched for 800 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania following ancient buffalo trails and Native American hunting/trading/warrior paths that ran west following the eastern side of the Appalachian Mts down to a place in west-central Virginia called 'Big Lick' that is now the town of Roanoke (<--read more here).

At Roanoke, the Great Wagon Road (<-- detailed map here) gave way to the Great Valley Road which forked away (blue line on map) continuing on in a southwesterly direction. Boone’s Wilderness Trail (<--read more here) also began here at Roanoke and went up over the Blue Ridge Mts and continued concurrently along the same paths as the Great Valley Road on across southwestern Virginia to where it met the northeastern border of Tennessee at a place called 'Sapling Grove', which is now the town of Bristol. At Bristol, the Great Valley Road (brown line on map) forked away from Boone's Wilderness Road and continued on in a more southern direction into eastern Tennessee, all the way over to what is now Knoxville, and in later years was extended on to Nashville as Avery's Trace.

LEWIS & SARAH LEAVE BUCKINGHAM COUNTY...
The Great Wagon Road and Boone's Wilderness Road were already well traveled by thousands of settlers by sometime in 1804-1806 when our Lewis & Sarah and other families of their close kin and friends left Buckingham County and began their trip west to new lands and a chance at a better life. Even though the available roads had been much improved by the early 1800's, travel was still slow, difficult, and often dangerous. When you headed out on the frontier roads, you were literally taking your life in your hands. You were continuously driving the wagon up hills or leaning back on the brakes going down hills. See Poem - Leavin' old Virginny

An ax, a pick, a shovel, and a trusty rifle were essential tools for anyone traveling. The road would frequently be washed out by rains or be blocked by fallen limbs or trees. There were no open conflicts with the Cherokee nation to speak of by the early 1800's, but the trip through the Tennessee River valley was not without its dangers. Your trail led you through Cherokee lands where you were often literally passing through the middle of their villages. Even though there was no official conflict, tribes would sometimes demand payment for passing through their land which often led to disputes that tended not to end well. And there was always the danger of rogue braves and road bandits.

THE BUCKINGHAM ROAD...
Across Central Virginia from their home county, Lewis and Sarah's first path had to have been west through neighboring counties. One of the most important east/west roads from Tidewater Virginia during colonial times was the Buckingham Road. Not as well known as other colonial roads, this road connected the coastlands around Richmond to the counties of central Virginia and on westward to the dark tobacco plantations of Lynchburg (a course now approximated by U.S. Hwys 60 and 460) and then on to the main crossroads at Roanoke.

Roanoke was a main junction where travelers from east and central Virginia could connect with the Great Wagon Road on its way down from the northern colonies. It is also where Daniel Boone and his party of frontiersmen began blazing the Wilderness Trail, following existing ancient buffalo trails and Native American hunting paths through the mountains at Big Moccasin Gap and further on through the famous Cumberland Gap.

DOWN THE WILDERNESS ROAD...
Once they reached Roanoke, Lewis and party surely must have followed Boone's Wilderness Road on across southwest Virginia to Bristol which was located in close proximity to the borders between Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
At Bristol they likely followed the Great Valley Road which forked away southwest, bypassed two difficult mountain passes, and continued on through the Tennessee River Valley, and from there on to what was to become the Knoxville area (see map).

Our KIDD family's Tennessee home place in Blount County is of course just a hoot 'n holler south of Knoxville. Knoxville being better suited for larger cash crop farming, our Kidds apparently moved on south a bit further to where the rich land was good for small family farms. Blount County is one of the oldest counties in Tennessee. Established in 1795 before statehood, it was named in honor of Territorial Governor William Blount.

POEM
Commemorating
our pioneer KIDDs of Colonial Virginia.

"I’m leavin’ old Virginny,
Leavin’ my old life behind."

Poem by K.D. Kidd

When you headed west on frontier roads, you were literally taking your life in your hands. In hilly terrain you were continuously driving the wagon up hill or leaning back on the brakes going down hill.

An ax, a pick, a shovel, and a trusty rifle were essential tools. The road would frequently be washed out by rains or be blocked by fallen limbs or trees.

The trail through tribal lands in the Tennessee Valley was not without its dangers. Often you were passing through the middle of Cherokee villages where tribes would sometimes demand payment for passing through their land. And there was always the danger of rogue braves and road bandits.

To include your stories and other information in this site,
Email us at Webmaster.

Comments, suggestions,
additional info are
always welcomed.,
Please contact: Webmaster
Nova Development Art Explosion

CREDITS: Research by Reiley Kidd, MD, and Sandra Kidd on the Kidds of Virginia 1646-1850, http://www.kiddroots.org Our KIDD family's Tennessee home place in Blount County is of course just a hoot 'n holler south of Knoxville. Knoxville being better suited for larger cash crop farming, our Kidds apparently moved on a bit further south where the rich land was good for small family farms.
	*THEY CAME DOWN THE WILDERNESS ROAD*
	It's fascinating and inspiring to realize that our KIDD kinfolks were real, actual pioneers like so many other families of that day and time! Some of the trails and roads they must have had to follow were meager improvements over the buffalo paths and native American trails they had grown from. It should be a point of pride that KIDDs were a part of early colonial America and of the settling of the new nation, the United States! But you have to wonder, how did our Kidd ancestors travel from colonial Virginia to Tennessee? On foot? Horseback? By wagon? We don't really know, but probably all three. What trails or roads did they actually have to follow? What dangers did they face along the way? That story reveals some very interesting history. Everybody loves the stories about Daniel Boone and how he and a group of 30 axe-wielding frontiersmen blazed a trail through wild, untouched wilderness that was eventually improved into a wagon road from Virginia and across the Appalachian mountains into Kentucky that became known as the famous Wilderness Road. In October of 1773, part of Boone's working/hunting party became separated from the main group and was attacked by a band of Delaware, Shawnee, and Cherokee. All except two were killed, and Boone's son, James, who was with them was killed also in that raid. (James Boone historical marker) 'Road to Kaintuck', a song by Johnny Cash, describes the heart and spirit of the hardy folks who were a part of the great western expansion from the northern colonies and Virginia. But what most folks don't know is that Boone's work, while historically significant, was only a part of a much longer migration path that led from New England and through the Middle Colonies to what was then the unsettled western frontier of southwest Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The northernmost part was the Great Wagon Road, also sometimes called the Great Warriors' Path, Valley Pike, Carolina Road, or Trading Path among other names. It was the most important Colonial American route for settlers from New England headed west and south for the mountainous back country frontier. The Great Wagon Road (<--read more here) stretched for 800 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania following ancient buffalo trails and Native American hunting/trading/warrior paths that ran west following the eastern side of the Appalachian Mts down to a place in west-central Virginia called 'Big Lick' that is now the town of Roanoke (<--read more here). At Roanoke, the Great Wagon Road (<-- detailed map here) gave way to the Great Valley Road which forked away (blue line on map) continuing on in a southwesterly direction. Boone’s Wilderness Trail (<--read more here) also began here at Roanoke and went up over the Blue Ridge Mts and continued concurrently along the same paths as the Great Valley Road on across southwestern Virginia to where it met the northeastern border of Tennessee at a place called 'Sapling Grove', which is now the town of Bristol. At Bristol, the Great Valley Road (brown line on map) forked away from Boone's Wilderness Road and continued on in a more southern direction into eastern Tennessee, all the way over to what is now Knoxville, and in later years was extended on to Nashville as Avery's Trace. *LEWIS & SARAH LEAVE BUCKINGHAM COUNTY...* The Great Wagon Road and Boone's Wilderness Road were already well traveled by thousands of settlers by sometime in 1804-1806 when our Lewis & Sarah and other families of their close kin and friends left Buckingham County and began their trip west to new lands and a chance at a better life. Even though the available roads had been much improved by the early 1800's, travel was still slow, difficult, and often dangerous. When you headed out on the frontier roads, you were literally taking your life in your hands. You were continuously driving the wagon up hills or leaning back on the brakes going down hills. See Poem - Leavin' old Virginny An ax, a pick, a shovel, and a trusty rifle were essential tools for anyone traveling. The road would frequently be washed out by rains or be blocked by fallen limbs or trees. There were no open conflicts with the Cherokee nation to speak of by the early 1800's, but the trip through the Tennessee River valley was not without its dangers. Your trail led you through Cherokee lands where you were often literally passing through the middle of their villages. Even though there was no official conflict, tribes would sometimes demand payment for passing through their land which often led to disputes that tended not to end well. And there was always the danger of rogue braves and road bandits. THE BUCKINGHAM ROAD... Across Central Virginia from their home county, Lewis and Sarah's first path had to have been west through neighboring counties. One of the most important east/west roads from Tidewater Virginia during colonial times was the Buckingham Road. Not as well known as other colonial roads, this road connected the coastlands around Richmond to the counties of central Virginia and on westward to the dark tobacco plantations of Lynchburg (a course now approximated by U.S. Hwys 60 and 460) and then on to the main crossroads at Roanoke. Roanoke was a main junction where travelers from east and central Virginia could connect with the Great Wagon Road on its way down from the northern colonies. It is also where Daniel Boone and his party of frontiersmen began blazing the Wilderness Trail, following existing ancient buffalo trails and Native American hunting paths through the mountains at Big Moccasin Gap and further on through the famous Cumberland Gap. DOWN THE WILDERNESS ROAD... Once they reached Roanoke, Lewis and party surely must have followed Boone's Wilderness Road on across southwest Virginia to Bristol which was located in close proximity to the borders between Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. At Bristol they likely followed the Great Valley Road which forked away southwest, bypassed two difficult mountain passes, and continued on through the Tennessee River Valley, and from there on to what was to become the Knoxville area (see map). Our KIDD family's Tennessee home place in Blount County is of course just a hoot 'n holler south of Knoxville. Knoxville being better suited for larger cash crop farming, our Kidds apparently moved on south a bit further to where the rich land was good for small family farms. Blount County is one of the oldest counties in Tennessee. Established in 1795 before statehood, it was named in honor of Territorial Governor William Blount.		POEM Commemorating our pioneer KIDDs of Colonial Virginia. "I’m leavin’ old Virginny, Leavin’ my old life behind." *Poem by K.D. Kidd* When you headed west on frontier roads, you were literally taking your life in your hands. In hilly terrain you were continuously driving the wagon up hill or leaning back on the brakes going down hill. An ax, a pick, a shovel, and a trusty rifle were essential tools. The road would frequently be washed out by rains or be blocked by fallen limbs or trees. The trail through tribal lands in the Tennessee Valley was not without its dangers. Often you were passing through the middle of Cherokee villages where tribes would sometimes demand payment for passing through their land. And there was always the danger of rogue braves and road bandits.

		To include your stories and other information in this site, Email us at Webmaster.
Comments, suggestions, additional info are always welcomed., Please contact: Webmaster