Background

Background Summary provided by Dia Browser AI.

Simon Kenton was a legendary frontiersman and explorer of early American history.

Simon Kenton was one of those larger-than-life figures who helped shape the American frontier in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Born in 1755 in Virginia, he ran away from home as a teenager after a fight and changed his name to “Simon Butler” for a while, thinking he was wanted for murder (he wasn’t, but the story stuck). Kenton became a skilled woodsman, scout, and Indian fighter, spending much of his life in what is now Kentucky and Ohio.

He was known for his incredible physical strength, endurance, and almost uncanny ability to survive dangerous situations—he was captured and tortured by Native Americans several times but always managed to escape. Kenton played a key role in the settlement of Kentucky, helped found several towns, and fought in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. He was friends (and sometimes rivals) with other famous frontiersmen like Daniel Boone.

Despite his legendary status, Kenton’s later years were marked by poverty and obscurity, but his legacy lives on in the many places named after him, especially in Ohio and Kentucky. His life is a classic example of the wild, unpredictable, and often brutal world of the early American frontier.

Oakdale Cemetery
319 Patrick Ave, Urbana, OH 43078

Impression

During the Juneteenth holiday, I spent a few days traveling around some smaller towns and cities in north western Ohio.

In the Oakdale Cemetery in Urbana, I found a marker and statue for a person named Simon Kenton. Intrigued by the monument, I wanted to dig into who this person was that had such a statue erected for them.

While there are other areas of the Oakdale Cemetery that are great to see, this is one spot that I’m glad I was able to stumble across and share with you all!