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Boone, a gorgeous town in the state of North Carolina, is nestled closely within the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is home to over seventeen thousand people. Boone is the highest town above sea level, east of the Mississippi River above sea level. It often has a very subtropical climate, enjoying hot summers. However, on the downside it means that Boone also enjoys a lot of rain and snow during the winter months. Blizzards are not uncommon during the Boone winter season, and it can easily see nearly thirty five inches of snow in a year. A favorite place for people to retire to, Boone NC offers not only a comforting natural environment, but also a wide range of fun and activities for its residents, as well as a long and rich history, starting with its founder.
The name Boone is often seen as an unusual one, but in this case – as in many other towns and cities in the United States of America – the place has been named after a person. In this case, it is Daniel Boone, an amazing man whose legacy is an inspiration to a great many people. Born in 1734, Daniel Boone became a famous pioneer and explorer during his own lifetime, and became a folk hero in the minds of the people that followed his adventures. He founded settlements throughout Kentucky, and created a road that allowed over two hundred thousand European people to migrate across America safely. Despite being captured by Shawnee Native Americans during the Revolutionary War, Daniel Boone did not falter. He eventually became part of their tribe, although he left them to become a surveyor and a merchant.
His memoirs were published while he was still alive, which made him incredibly well-known throughout America, although the myths that are based around him are much more exciting, sadly, than his actual life! It is known that Daniel Boone was a man of very few words, and his autobiography was written for him by John Filson, a man that saw absolutely nothing wrong with embellishing the parts of the story that Daniel Boone didn’t think important or exciting enough to dwell on. Timothy Flint also interviewed Daniel Boone so that he could write about him, and it is from this book that many of the myths and legends stem. According to Timothy Flint, Daniel Boone not only fought hand to hand with a bear, but also escaped from Indians by swinging on vines. Obviously, this was complete nonsense, but it was very popular nonsense. However, some of the historical truth was also lost within these books: although Daniel Boone was the first man to found many settlements in Kentucky, he was certainly not the first man to ever go there. The town of Boone in North Carolina is also not the only area to be named after Daniel Boone: others include the Daniel Boone National Forest, and six counties in six different states.
Boone in North Carolina chose to take its name from this remarkable man because Daniel Boone camped several times in the area – and not only that, but his two nephews Jesse and Jonathan Boone founded the first church within the town. It was and is called Three Forks Baptist, and still holds services today. Daniel Boone has still a captive attention on the hearts and minds of the people that live in the town of Boone NC. Every year, a play entitled Horn in the West is performed in the town’s outdoor amphitheater. The story follows the lives of the first settlers to the area, and heavily features the character of Daniel Boone. The play has been performed every summer since 1952, and the longest running actor to play Daniel Boone was Glenn Causey, who took on the role for forty one consecutive years.
The modern era has held some difficult times for the town of Boone. In 1940, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad – known to locals affectionately as ‘Tweetsie’ – was almost completely destroyed by a flood. The tracks were washed away, and it was decided that it would be too expensive and labor intensive to replace them. In more recent times, the economic downturn that the entire world experienced after the collapse of banks throughout many different countries, the town of Boone NC was relatively lucky, and escaped mainly unhurt. This is because of the presence of one institution within the town that brings in a lot of income and keeps the economy afloat, and is incredibly unlikely to close: a university.
Boone, NC hosts the university Appalachian State, where many thousands of people flock to study. This also means that the Appalachian State University is the largest employer within the town, employing over a thousand people, or over 6% of the entire town. When those figures are combined with the employment figures for the Watauga County Board of Education, it shows that over 12% of the entire town is working within education. This explains why so many well-educated people emerge from the town of Boone!
Boone is also an important governmental place; it is the county seat of Watauga County. On the other hand, Boone is not a particularly industrial town. There has been a lot of opposition to developing it commercially, because it is so close to the Appalachia Mountains. These are areas of outstanding beauty, and very few people want to run the risk of destroying nature. This has led to the “Boone 2030 Land Use Plan”. Although this is not technically law, it is an advisory document that is used by the town council whenever they have to consider any new buildings or developments.
There are several important companies and businesses that are based in Boone, and have their headquarters there. For example, Walmart has a large store there, as does Lowe’s Home Improvement. The headquarters of the charity Samaritan’s Purse is within Boone NC, an organization that has offices throughout the world. It was founded by William Franklin Graham III, son of the Reverend Billy Graham. There is also Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation Center, whose presence probably encourages many Boone residents to invest in health insurance. But if you are visiting Boone on holiday, you should consider some of the beautiful natural areas that Boone boasts. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Watauga River are particularly stunning. There are brilliant locations for a gentle walk and a picnic. Of course, if you come in the summer you simply must watch the Horn in the West play, and perhaps you could also climb Grandfather Mountain, the highest peak on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
There are some incredible people that are Boone, NC born and bred, and have gone on into the world to do amazing things, but they never forgot their roots. The guitarist Michael Houser, founding member of the band Widespread Panic, was born in Boone – as was Doc Watson, and many other bluegrass musicians. There is clearly something in the water at Boone which gives prodigious musical talent! However, that is not the only talent that Boone residents are blessed with: Robby Benson, the actor, director and singer, also grew up in Boone.
Political insight seems to be another characteristic of being Boone born and bred: James Holshouser, the 68th Governor of North Carolina, was born in Boone. Lastly, Dickson “Doc” Hendley is a Boone resident, and the founder of Wine to Water, a charity that concentrates on providing safe water to those around the world that do not have access to it. There is much for Boone to be proud of.
Boone has also reached the television sets of millions of people around the world, although no one that lived there really saw it coming. In the very popular television show The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon, one of the main characters, is looking to move somewhere quiet and relaxing. He has recently been burgled, and doesn’t want to live anywhere with a high level of crime. He looks up Boone, and declares: “Every summer since 1952, Boone, NC has hosted an outdoor amphitheater portrayal of the life and times of its namesake, Daniel Boone. That sounds like something that will attract the wrong crowd.” However, do not let this influence you! Boone has an incredibly low crime rate, and has a high level of health within the town. Health insurance is something that almost every citizen has, and the slow and peaceful pace of life in Boone means that many people live for a very long time.
There really isn’t much that Boone, North Carolina can’t give to its residents, and there is so much to see and do here. So if you are looking for a town that offers not only awe-inspiring scenery all around, with warm and welcoming residents, and a safe place to be, then Boone NC is the best town for you. And remember, whether you are new to town or a long time resident, WNC Health Insurance can help you find the Boone, NC health insurance that is right for you.