Big Bone Lick State Park
National Register of Historic Places

Big Bone Lick State Park

Union, Boone County, Kentucky
Listed
June 12, 1972
Type
Site
Period
Modern
Ref No.
72001585

About this property

Big Bone Lick State Park is located at Big Bone in Boone County, Kentucky. The name of the park comes from the Pleistocene megafauna fossils found there. Mammoths are believed to have been drawn to this location by a salt lick deposited around the sulfur springs. Other animals including forms of bison, caribou, deer, elk, horse, mastodon, musk ox, peccary, ground sloths, wolves, black bears, stag moose, saber-toothed cats, and possibly tapir also grazed the vegetation and salty earth around the springs that the animals relied on for their diet. The majority of fossils found in the area have been dated to the Wisconsin Glacial Period (c. 115,000 – c. 11,700 years ago). Human burials and other signs of human habitation have also been uncovered.

Location

Union, Boone County, Kentucky
38.88674, -84.75370

Categories

PREHISTORICSCIENCESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Big Bone Methodist Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Stevenson, Dr. John E., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Big Bone Lick Archeological District
Listed
0.3 mi
Miller, M., House
Industrial
0.7 mi
Glore, William Milburn, House
Industrial
1.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Big Bone Lick State Park listed on the National Register?

Big Bone Lick State Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 12, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Big Bone Lick State Park?

Big Bone Lick State Park is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Big Bone Lick State Park?

The period of significance for Big Bone Lick State Park is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1960.

Can I research the history near Big Bone Lick State Park?

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