The early explorer Daniel Boone, for which the city was named, often explored this region and camped within modern city limits during the 1700s. To honor him, the city has held a “Horn in the West” production detailing Boone’s life every year since 1952. For 40 of those years (1956 to 1996), the late Glenn Causey played Boone for every performance of the drama and became the standard face for Boone. Many contemporary artists have used his image as a basis for romanticized depictions of the early pioneer.

Though many explorers made journeys into this part of western North Carolina during the 1700s, it was not until 1872 that Boone was incorporated as a town. Only nine years later, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (also known as Tweetsie) built their railroad to terminate in Boone, hauling both passengers and freight goods to and from Johnson City, Tennessee. This legendary railroad was famous for its friendly staff, who often helped locals by running errands or delivering messages. During the Great Depression, they sometimes even allowed people to ride for free.

In 1899, Appalachian State University was founded in Boone. The student population has since swelled to 14,000 and made Boone a modern center of education in Appalachia.