Many Faces of Mel Hankla
Simon Kenton
Frontiersman
1755-1836
Frontiersman
1755-1836
Thinking he had killed a boy in a fight over a girl, Simon Kenton fled west from Virginia at age 16. He was wrong — he had only knocked his rival unconscious — but the incident launched him on a life of high adventure. By the time he was 20, Kenton had fetched up on the Kentucky shore of the Ohio River in what is now Mason County. He proceeded to carve out a remarkable career as an explorer and frontiersman. A self-appointed welcomer-in-chief, he personally greeted early settlers as they arrived in what was then the far west. Kenton became a wealthy man, but lost his land. Unable to read or write, he spent his final years in poverty in Ohio.
His Life and Period: A crippled up old Simon reminisces, telling his life’s story. Respected for his knowledge of the land and competence as a woodsman by pioneers and Indians alike, Kenton was a key figure in opening up and keeping the frontier safer for all of north and central Kentucky.
Kentucky Scout: The Indians knew Kenton as “the man whose gun is never empty” for his skill of running and reloading his faithful flintlock at the same time. He risked his life to save many future Kentuckians, not the least of whom was his lifelong friend Daniel Boone.
His Life and Period: A crippled up old Simon reminisces, telling his life’s story. Respected for his knowledge of the land and competence as a woodsman by pioneers and Indians alike, Kenton was a key figure in opening up and keeping the frontier safer for all of north and central Kentucky.
Kentucky Scout: The Indians knew Kenton as “the man whose gun is never empty” for his skill of running and reloading his faithful flintlock at the same time. He risked his life to save many future Kentuckians, not the least of whom was his lifelong friend Daniel Boone.