Powell River Bridge
Downstream from here are the two fords crossing the main Powell River. One can still clearly see the two trails coming down the hill to your left on the eastern bank of the river. The most obvious one, which sweeps in a gentle descent across the face of the hill from north to south, is the Fincastle to Cumberland Gap Turnpike of the 1830’s. It is graded for vehicles. But further to the south you can see coming straight off of the hill, without concern for grade, the earliest placement of the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail. Recall that the early emigrants walked and led their pack horses, and grade meant little to them. The two fords are within a few yards of each other, and cross the river at the point of the bluff you can see to the left of the curve as the present highway passes from sight.
The earliest version of the Trail came across Wallen’s Ridge to your left through Slagle’s Gap. Later the trail was improved and relocated to follow the route that you have just used.
The creek that you have been following from Crissman’s Station is called Station Creek and is named after that garrison. It was along this creek, probably close to its junction with the river, that Daniel and Rebecca Boone awaited their reunion with their son, James. There is another Station Creek farther west along the trail, which should not be confused with this one.
These fords are deep and are dangerous in high water. Because of this, emigrants using the Wilderness Trail used an alternate route during periods of high water. That route split off from the main Trail at Little Flat Lick and followed the North Fork of the Clinch River upstream to Lovelady Gap, which they used to gain passage into Powell Valley. This process allowed the two head branches of the Powell River to be crossed individually, a safer undertaking if the water was high. One of the fords of the first branch of the Powell River was guarded by Yokum’s Station, under the command of Lt. Vincent Hobbs, Jr., the slayer of Chief Benge. From here the detour proceeded through Dryden, and Pennington Gap, where they crossed the second fork of the Powell. This branch of the Trail rejoined the main Trail at Mump’s Fort at Jonesville.