Top Five Frontiersmen of Kentucky 

As they say nowadays, he was built different.

KET has a wonderful short film called “A Walk with Simon Kenton” in which the actor Clancy Brown portrays Kenton. They could have hardly made a better choice as not only does Clancy have a similar physical stature of Kenton but he’s also a native son of Urbana,Ohio were Simon Kenton is buried. So it’s probably safe to assume Clancy grew up hearing the legends of Simon Kenton. Us Buckeyes claim Kenton as a native son and our greatest Frontiersman too as he spent the last half of his long life in Ohio and was just as important to the settling of Ohio as he was to Kentucky. I don’t think it was made quite clear what an impressive and imposing man Simon was for his time. Not a man I’d tangle with for sure. Yet he was known to be a kind and gentle man to his friends and community. It’s incalculable how many lives Kenton saved not because of his courage and remarkable skill as a fighter but because he made it his business to travel around and teach settlers how to survive in an Indian controlled frontier and how not to die or be killed due to ignorance of the frontier. My favorite legend of Simon was that he was in Kentucky at a wilderness tavern and eating a meal when a group of young rowdy group of surveyors led by non other than Andrew Jackson himself who boasted about whooping all the rowdies in his crew. The story goes that Jackson and his rowdies got drunk and Jackson made the very unfortunate mistake of sucker punching Kenton. It is said that within a minute Jackson was on the floor a bloody mess and that patrons of the bar had to physically pull him off of Jackson to stop Kenton from tomahawking Jackson. If true so much for Jackson’s boast that he never met a man he couldn’t lick. Personally I find the story apocryphal as Jackson was not a stupid man and even if he was blind stinking drunk he wouldn’t have been as suicidally insane to do something as crazy as sucker punch Simon Kenton. Still and all it’s a great story cause everybody knows that though Jackson was a great man he was also a terrible braggart and Simon Kenton was not a man he could have licked. If true it was an incredibly stupid mistake by Jackson as Kenton didn’t fight for sport. He fought seriously to kill.

@@Mottleydude1 I definitely remember the story of him and Andrew Jackson getting in a fight. That one stuck with me. I don't entirely remember the details, but in the book I read, the story describes Jackson as a younger adult, despite dates being given. The problem with this is that his parents would have immigrated more recently than his supposed birthdate, and that would put Jackson's birth overseas. Thereby making him ineligible for any presidency. I'm fuzzy on the exact details, but Jackson should have been 10-15 years older than the description given by Kenton's accounts. Either the story was fabricated, or Andrew Jackson's records were. Honestly, I think either scenario is very possible. Jackson was rough. He's the same guy who shot and killed an attorney in a duel years before he was elected. He gave his opponent time to fire his shot first, which hit his shoulder, and then he took his time to aim carefully and won. He died with that lead ball still in his body.

I agree the Frontiersmen is a must read. Simon Kenton's story is a great adventure.

He had an amazing life!

Simon Girty was friends with him

The Simon Butler factor of his life makes him even more interesting.

My relation saved Boone and his second n command while serving in the American Revolution. Born in Kentucky with a county named after him. I believe he had an uncle who was the first white man ti grow corn in Kentucky.

Many Indians agree that you would not be here.

That’s awesome and we applaud your efforts! Totally agree, Simon Kenton needs to be put on the forefront of Ky history.

The Frontiersman is too much for a movie. To be done right it would have to be a miniseries. When I read it, I saw it in my head a a miniseries, in the vein of North & South or Centennial.

The Swamp Fox is another good historical figure!

Why did he not like Boone? I’m actually Boones cousin, I’m descended from his grandfather and his paternal aunt

@@manumuskin I don't have a clue. He lived his last years with his daughter and his grandson wrote down the stories he told. He wrote a book about him I have not found. My ancestor Squire Poteet was most likely named after Squire Boone. His father was a Longhunter that hunted with the Boones. His first cousin Issak Crabtree was with James Boone when he was killed. He escaped with an arrow in his back.

Boone and Kenton were very different people in certain ways. They bonded over hunting game and the vast woodlands they roamed. Simon would stop everywhere and talk with everyone at every station and wanted many people to come enjoy KY for what it was. Boone really I think regretted showing everyone the empire. Boone left for the west because he seen what was to come and really just wanted his own land and peace and quiet and really didn't care to have a lot of people around him.

@@manumuskin ..

That is a great question, how many did Kenton and Boone bring, and one I’ve wondered about too.

He was very important to Ohio too.

@@KentuckyHistoryChannel he definitely was. We live just off US 27 in Kentucky aka Simon Kenton highway and my wife is from Ohio just off 28 which is also Simon Kenton highway

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you! And you’re right, an amazing man!

Very true, Simon Kenton was very important to Ohio too.

I agree. I would love to see Simon Kenton on the big screen!

Pretty awesome connection!

It is a great book!

Thank you!

That’s a pretty good list too! We’ll need to do some videos on these names too.

Whitley was very important to early Kentucky history. Visited his house many times.

Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed it.

That’s awesome!

Definitely would be in the discussion! A top ten would be crowded.

Yes, it is!

He was an extraordinary man!

He was a great frontiersmen! Thanks for watching!

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you for sharing. That is an awesome connection! Someone needs to write a book about him.

Yes, The Frontiersmen is an amazing book!

Alan Ekert "The Frontiersman"

Rodgers Rangers where crazy tough. They built ice skates and would skate on the frozen rivers to make better time.

Would love to see y'all do a show about the native American presence in KY during the frontier exploration. Which tribes and where were they based out of. Maybe there's already an episode that details all of this but I'm new to your channel and haven't gone through all your content. Thanks for your channel. Kentucky.... The original western frontier.

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

No mention of Knox or Ben Lynn?

Yes! Great points! The Frontiersmen is a great book!

Wow! That’s some good connections! Glad you’re enjoying the frontiersmen coverage, more to come!

Awesome! Nicholasville is a great town!

Very true!

Very cool ancestors and connections!

He’s a good one too!

His grandson was George Wallace Crutcher, the mayor of East Dallas, when the merged with Dallas. This Crutcher family tried to start a trotter racing industry in the DFW area, shipped in 6 carloads of trotters around 1880, but it never took off, as it did in KY. G.W. great grandson was the campaign manager of Senator Lloyd Benson of Texas, 60-70's, that family were successful attorneys in Dallas starting about 1880.

He definitely does. Been thinking of doing a top 10 or a forgotten frontiersmen video. It’s so easy to focus on the ones that have received more attention over the years. Thank you for subscribing and glad you enjoyed it! More to come!

Yes, both of those are two good ones. We’re planning on doing an unknown frontiersmen video.

He’s another good one we’ll need to cover! Thanks for watching!

Thank you, glad you enjoyed! You’re right about Boone too.

He was a complex man. Covered him in an early episode. KHP - Ep. 42 Simon Girty: The Sometimes Un-American, American ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ILidm3m4sZg.html

Long hunters definitely played a big role! Got some content coming out about Skaggs in the next few months.

He would be in our top 10 for sure!

Very good list! All played a great role in creating Kentucky!

Yes, Squire would be a great six!

Very true! I’m guessing a possible ancestor?

Yes our first family member that came to this country was Ralph Wallen who arrived at Plymouth colony with his wife Joyce from England in 1623. They were aboard the 3rd ship to Plymouth, named Anne. Elisha Wallin or Wallen was a contemporary of Daniel Boone and he led the first documented hunt across the Cumberland Gap and into todays state of Tennessee. He is recognized as being responsible for naming many places and streams along his travels. Some include Wallin’s Creek, Powell’s Mountain, Valley, and River, Clinch River. Some history states that Elisha created the Wilderness Trail 7 years before Daniel Boone. The Wallen family also owned the land that Lincoln Memorial University sits today in Harrogate Tennessee. There is a lot of information available to research on our family. Thank you for your response!

@@rogerwallin5009 we may need to make a video about him!

Agree!

We’ll need to research him. Thank you for watching!

Pretty awesome! Not many can.

He would be another great frontiersmen to cover. I know the basics about him, would probably need to research up a little before an episode.

I would love that. I am a Finley and have been looking, not exensivley, trying to learn more about him.

Great pick!

He’s definitely a top 10.