
Boone's Lick Road - Cross Keys Tavern (1829) - Jonesburg, MO
Posted by:
gparkes
N 38° 51.132 W 091° 18.221
15S E 647196 N 4301742
Cross Keys Tavern marker along the historic Boone's Lick Road.
Waymark Code: WM5T79
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 02/09/2009
Views: 23
The marker states:
BOONE'S LICK ROAD
Cross Keys Tavern (1829)
Marked by the
Daughters of the
American Revolution
and the
State of Missouri
1913
James Jones, who built the Cross Keys Tavern, was a farmer who came from Rockingham County, Virginia. He rented Widow Bast’s farm. This tavern was an important stage stop in 1829. Later the town of Jonesburg was started. James Jones became the first postmaster in 1828 and the center room of the tavern was the post office. There were no stamps so postage charges were kept in account books which were passed down to members of the family.
The trail originated as an old Indian trace. In the 1764, the first part of the trail was expanded by trappers through St. Louis County, Missouri. This part of the trail is known as St. Charles Rock Road. The trail was expanded by brothers Daniel Morgan and Nathanal Boone, sons of famous frontiersman Daniel Boone, as part of gaining access to salt springs near present day New Franklin, Missouri. The complete trail from St. Louis to Franklin, Missouri takes its name from the Boone brothers. In 1821, William Becknell established a trail from Franklin to Santa Fe, Mexico, there by establishing the Santa Fe Trail. The Santa Fe Trail at Kansas City splits off into other major trail such as the California and Oregon Trails. The Boone's Lick trail is the land route to the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail and carried many of those who would settle the west.
Perhaps the best website I have seen giving an understanding of the trail, is from the
LDS church. Their focus is Mormon usage of the trail, but you start to get a feel for the layout of the trail.