Obituary from the New Castle Courier - 1881
A Spiceland Pioneer Passes Away
Born in North Carolina on September 5, 1796, the son of John and Dorcas Chestnutt Boone, Driver Boone died at his residence in Spiceland on Saturday night, August 20, 1881 at about 9 o'clock. On Monday night previous he was stricken with paralysis, and from that time he never swallowed any food, or returned to consciousness. Just 57 years to a day from the time he died, he started from his native State, North Carolina, to seek a home in a country where his fellow-beings were not sold and held for servitude. He first stopped in Wayne County, Ind., but in 1839 he came to the place where Spiceland now stands, and where he lived the balance of his life. During the years of back-woods life here he took an active part in reducing the forests into grain producing farms, and to assist to erect buildings for the worship of Almighty God, and in which to educate the children of these pioneers.
Driver Boone was a shoemaker by trade. Being an enterprising man he purchased a good stock of goods, and thus became the first merchant and mercantile man of Spiceland. He also acted as its first postmaster. He had lived more than man's allotted time, being almost eighty-five years old. He was a man universally esteemed, and one who had few, if any enemies. He was a life-long member of the Society of Friends, and died in the full realization of the promises of the Gospel.
He leaves a widow, Elizabeth, who was his second wife, three children by his first marriage to Anna Kesey, who died soon after coming to Indiana, and three by his last, living; all who are prominent and well known men and woman, as follows: Samson Boone and Rachel Allen, of Richmond, Ind., Mrs. B. B. Cheshire, Crown Point; Professor R. G. Boone, of Frankfort schools; Mrs. Dr. Gause, of Greensfork, Ind., and J. C. Boone, of New Castle, Ind..
His remains were laid to rest at 10 o'clock on Monday morning, in the old cemetery at Spiceland. These noble pioneers are passing away, and we are this day reaping the benefits of the great work they have done toward civilizing our land. We can never realize the great good done for humanity by the trials, privations and great work of these hardy fathers who are now but comparatively few in number.
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