Alphonso Boone
1796-1850by Arlene Curry Buschert, GggrandaughterAlphonso Boone was the third child of Judge Jesse Bryan Boone and Chloe Van Bibber. Named for an old Spanish friend of his grandfather Daniel Boone, he was born on Nov.7, 1796 in Mason County, Ky.
With his family Alphonso settled in 1818 in Montgomery County, MO and helped build the first road in the county in 1820.
February 21,1822, Alphonso married his second cousin Nancy Linville Boon who was the daughter of John Linville Boon, granddaughter of George Boone (Daniel’s brother). They settled in the vicinity of Loutre Lick (MO). Six children were born to them by the time the 1830 census was taken, and in that year he acquired 80 acres of land, probably by relinquishment from his father. All the children, including four more two of which died, were born in Montgomery County except for the last one Alphonso Jr. He was born in Cole County in 1837 where his mother Nancy Linville Boone died June 9, 1838.
In 1841 Alphonso moved to Independence where he engaged in outfitting caravans and trading. His brother Albert was already on this new frontier trading with the Indians. The lure of the West was too much for the Boone blood and Alphonso began making plans to cross the Plains.
After a long and arduous journey to Oregon, Alphonso established the Boone’s Ferry north of Salem on the “Boone Ferry Road”which continued to run for 107 years [It was taken out of service in 1954 when a bridge was built across the Willamette]. Alphonso and his sons located on adjoining tracts of 1000 acres of land. On a big Fir tree he chipped his name, and a triple log cabin was built facing the river. Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens could be seen on a cloudless day.
In March of 1849, Alphonso set out for California and the gold fields with his sons. Less than a year later, February 27, 1850, he died of fever at a trading post known as Long’s Bar on the Feather River.
