Myth: Daniel Boone wore a coonskin cap.

Fact: Many famous characters in our history become “larger than life” due more to the stories told about them after they have died almost unnoticed until years after their death. That was not the case with Daniel Boone who’s first taste of fame came in 1784 when a book was published that included stories of his adventures.

One of the most lasting impressions of Daniel Boone was his coonskin cap. In reality though Boone wore a beaver hat. It wasn’t until the 1820’s during a minstrel show called “The Hunters of Kentucky” that the myth began. The actor playing Boone was unable to find a beaver hat so he wore the closest thing he could find at the time, a coonskin cap. This myth was reinforced between 1964 and 1970 with the NBC series Daniel Boone where Boone always wore his coonskin cap.