James Boone was the oldest child of the large family of Nathan Boone and Olive Van Bibber Boone. James parents, Nathan and Olive were married on September 26, 1799.

James Boone, Nathan's oldest son, is said to be the oldest American white male child born in Missouri, west of St. Louis County. He was born in St. Charles County, Missouri in 1800."

His parents, Nathan and Olive Boone, named him "James" in honor of Nathan's brother who had been killed by Indians during his parents' trek from North Carolina to the Kentucky frontier.

A quote from Nathan Boone about his son James and his father Daniel (taken from an interview with L. C. Draper): "About 1809, my son, James Boone (b.1800), was sent to St. Charles to school and boarded at a Frenchman's, but he got homesick. When my father heard of it, he and Mother went down, took a room at St. Charles, and kept house there for some time and made a home for little son James."

James Boone married Mary Polly Allen in Missouri in 1840. James and Mary were the parents of 5 children: 2 sons, Benjamin Howard Boone and John Boone and 3 daughters: Armilda B., Elizabeth and Cassandra C. Boone. All if their children were born in Missouri.

James Boone, is on the 1840 Polk County Missouri census. He bought 240 acres of land in 1845. The family was enumerated on the 1850 Polk County, Missouri census.  In 1860 they were enumerated on the Carroll County, Arkansas Census.  

James Boone, age 80 and his son, John Boone, are on the Cooke County, Texas census in 1880. James is in the household of his son, Benjamin Howard Boone, daughter-in-law, Susan and their children: James age 12, John age 10 and a baby daughter, Annie, age 2 months.

Since James Boone was at such an advanced age in 1880 and living with his son, Benjamin Howard Boone, it is presumed that he died there and is buried with the rest of his kin in the Fairview Cemetery in Cooke County, Texas.