Timeline story
Col. Richard Callaway of Boonesborough
Virginia-born Richard Callaway (1717–1780) helped blaze the path into central Kentucky with Boone in 1775 and co-founded Boonesborough for Henderson’s Transylvania venture.

He led the rescue when his daughters and Jemima Boone were taken in 1776, sat as a Kentucky County burgess and militia colonel, and defended the fort through the 1778 siege—then pressed court-martial charges against Boone afterward. In 1780, while building his authorized ferry boat on the Kentucky River, he was ambushed and killed by a Shawnee war party; Calloway County later took his name.
Cite this story
Published . Last revised .
Chicago
Snowden, Shannon. "Col. Richard Callaway of Boonesborough." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 12, 2026. Last revised September 12, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/col-richard-callaway-of-boonesborough/.
MLA
Snowden, Shannon. "Col. Richard Callaway of Boonesborough." Kentucky History Drive, published 12 Sept. 2026, last revised 12 Sept. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/col-richard-callaway-of-boonesborough/.
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