Davy Crockett, "King Of The Wild Frontier"

[Meanderer]

In the early 19th century, David “Davy” Crockett emerged from the wilds of Tennessee to become one of the United States’ first living folk heroes.

Though best known for his 1836 death at the Alamo, he was also a writer, hunter and U.S. Congressman whose reputation as an adventurer made him a legend in his own time.

Explore 10 surprising facts about the man often called the “King of the Wild Frontier.”

 

[Aunt Bea]

 

[Meanderer]

"Incredibly rare footage! Robert Kennedy watches a test of the Davy Crockett (the smallest nuclear weapon ever made), from a 35mm original color negative released as a result of a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act)".

"On July 17,(1962) a Davy Crockett was fired from a stationary 155 millimeter launcher (in tandem with simulated battlefield manuevers under Operation IVY FLATS) and detonated about 20 feet above the ground at a distance of 9,357 feet (1.7 miles) from the launch point (yield was 18 tons). This test, the last atmospheric detonation at the Nevada Test Site, was observed by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and presidential adviser General Maxwell D. Taylor".

 

[NancyNGA]

 

[NancyNGA]

Girls did it too.

 

[IKE]

I stand to be corrected but I think the television series only ran a year back in the 50's but I recall watching Fess Parker (as Davy Crockett) and Ed Ames as his Indian buddy (Mingo).......and yes when I was a pup I had a coon skin cap.

 

[Pappy]

I remember when Daveys hat was all the rage. The stores were running out of stock.

 

[NancyNGA]

I stand to be corrected but I think the television series only ran a year back in the 50's but I recall watching Fess Parker (as Davy Crockett) and Ed Ames as his Indian buddy (Mingo).......and yes when I was a pup I had a coon skin cap.

Buddy Ebsen was his partner in the Disney TV series.

 

[Meanderer]

View attachment 39440 I remember when Daveys hat was all the rage. The stores were running out of stock.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I stand to be corrected but I think the television series only ran a year back in the 50's but I recall watching Fess Parker (as Davy Crockett) and Ed Ames as his Indian buddy (Mingo).......and yes when I was a pup I had a coon skin cap.

It gets confusing because Fess Parker played Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.

 

[Meanderer]

 

[JaniceM]

I'm sorry, but I have to add my Davey Crockett anecdote...
One of my brothers had the Bill Hayes version of the record- 45 rpm. For the longest time, I'd get teary every time I played it, thinking 'Oh, poor poor little Davey!' Eventually it occurred to me: 'how did he become King of the Wild Frontier if he only lived to be three years old?' and then 'what was a 3-year-old child doing in a bar in the first place?!?' Because as B. Hayes was singing 'killed him a bear,' I always heard it as 'killed in a bar, when he was only three!'
Was glad to learn Davey Crockett did not indeed die in a bar fight at age 3. layful: lol

 

[Mrs. Robinson]

One of the biggest thrills of my childhood (and my sister`s as well) was when our parents went on a trip to Reno(?) (not sure about that) and brought us both back a coonskin cap and a suede fringed jacket. Now that I think about it,it must have been Reno and they must have had a big win LOL!

 

[RadishRose]

The article said Davy was born in a state that doesn't exist- that being Franklin. Sounds like that area went from NC to TN but for a brief time it was called Franklin. That was so interesting to me.

 

[Meanderer]

The article said Davy was born in a state that doesn't exist- that being Franklin. Sounds like that area went from NC to TN but for a brief time it was called Franklin. That was so interesting to me.

"...yeah, I guess he wasn't really born on a mountaintop, in Tennessee".

 

[NancyNGA]

David Crockett Birthplace State Historic Park
1245 Davy Crockett Park Road, Limestone, TN

 

[Meanderer]

David Crockett Birthplace State Historic Park
1245 Davy Crockett Park Road, Limestone, TN

Separating fact from fiction is a daunting task, when we look at Davy Crockett.

"Despite song lyrics to the contrary, Davy Crockett was not born on a mountaintop but on a floodplain along a gently meandering river in 1786. From his own recollections his birthplace was "at the mouth of Lime Stone, on the Nola-chucky river." This seems fairly specific however no written record exists to link him to the location. We do know his father lived in the area (he appears in county records during the 1770's and 80's) so even if this isn't the exact location, the place of his birth was certainly nearby".

"Added to the discrepancy in location is the centerpiece of the park, the old Crockett cabin. The original owners of the property, the Stonecypher family, had as proof of its authenticity but one single foundation stone. Through subsequent excavations no trace of a cabin was found on this spot but tradition won out and the site was chosen for the reconstruction".

"Finally, with only a single stone to go on, no one really knows what the Crockett cabin actually looked like so what you see at the site today is a generic replica of a design commonly used during the time period of Crockett's birth".

"According to Stonecypher family lore, Samuel Stonecypher, who purchased the land in 1824, dismantled the Crockett cabin and used the logs to build a small house nearby that became known as the Stonecypher cabin".

"The Stonecyphers claimed that the footstone of the original Crockett cabin, however, remained at that cabin's original site".

"Sometime in the 1880s, the footstone was adorned with an inscription reading, "On this spot Davy Crockett was born Aug 17 1786." In the 1950s, the Davy Crockett Birthplace Association used the logs from the Stonecypher cabin to build the Crockett cabin replica. The inscribed footstone was placed in front of the cabin replica, where it remains today".

 

[NancyNGA]

Separating fact from fiction is a daunting task, when we look at Davy Crockett.

"Finally, with only a single stone to go on, no one really knows what the Crockett cabin actually looked like so what you see at the site today is a generic replica of a design commonly used during the time period of Crockett's birth".

I sort of expected that might be the case. Thanks for clearing it up.

 

[Meanderer]

I sort of expected that might be the case. Thanks for clearing it up.

Most of history has always been that way,Nancy. A cleaned up "Disney" version, of someone's "blog".

 

[NancyNGA]

Remember "Betsy"?

Featuring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen

 

[Meanderer]

The Truth behind What Really Happened at the Alamo.

 

[Meanderer]

US postage stamp, issue of 1967

A knife purportedly used by Davy Crockett during the Battle of the Alamo.

David Crockett clipper ship card.

 

[Meanderer]

"Not Yours to Give" Davy Crockett's Speech before the House

 

[Meanderer]

[h=1]Tarzan, Jesus, and Davy Crockett?[/h]
Tom Lemming catches up with Ron Ely (Tarzan), Jim Caviezel (Jesus), and Fess Parker (Davy Crockett).

 

[Meanderer]

2010: "A few years ago, I produced a travel film for Petra Haffter, a Director friend of mine, about the Central Coast of California ("Highway One - Street of Dreams"). I suggested we interview Fess for the film, as he realized his dreams living in Santa Barbara. It was fun meeting him and very moving, as he still embodied a quiet and steady heroic quality. Although some of his land use development strategies were controversial to some folks, Fess was a cool guy who built an enduring legacy on and off the screen".