Wilderness Road Inn

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Historical Marker #927, located on Highway 229 in Laurel County just south of Levi Jackson State Park, commemorates the site of a tavern which once stood on the historic Wilderness Road. This marker also serves as an identifier of the Boone Trace because of the close proximity of the two roads.

Boone Trace, opened in 1775 into what was to become Kentucky, is situated on the west side of the park. The Wilderness Road evolved out of Boone Trace after Kentucky became a state in 1792. This route was officially designated the Wilderness Road in 1796, and is located on park property on the east side of Highway 229. The two historic roads—Boone Trace and the Wilderness Road—cross about two miles north of the park where the Little Laurel River traverses the road.

At this location one of the few remaining actual segments of Boone Trace can be walked by a traveler. This portion of Boone Trace is located on the west side of the park and is indicated by a 1942 Laurel County stone marker on the southern end, and a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) marker, placed in 1915, on the northern end. Seven stone markers were placed in Laurel County by the Laurel County Historical Society to mark Boone Trace in 1942, which was the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky's statehood. Fourteen markers placed by the DAR in 1915 also mark Boone Trace, indicating that at least twice in the last century two separate organizations realized the historic significance of Boone Trace and wanted to recognize its importance.

In addition, located in the park is the site of the McNitt Defeat, one of the most tragic events ever to occur along Boone Trace. In 1786, twenty-four members of the McNitt family were attacked by Native Americans and killed. Legend says that a pregnant pioneer managed to escape the attack, crawled into the hollow of a tree, delivered her baby, and survived. Today, the tree site is identified, and a cemetery marks the location where members of the family were buried.