Complete documentation of John Ross as the father of Jacob Ross and the
identification of Jacob's brothers and sisters was obtained for me by Joan
Bohm, genealogist of Frankfort, Indiana fro records stored in boxes in the
atic of the Clinton County Courthouse that had not been filmed or indexed by
the LDS church. She obtained estate inventory and sale records,
guardianship, cemetery, marriage, census, tax, land plat records and copies
that included John's original U.S. Land purchases benining in 1829. These
are in my files.
My family always said that the father of my great great grandfather, Jacob
Ross, was Abraham. These records show that John was Jacob's father and that
Abraham was his oldest brother.
Land purchase records dated 1829 in Clinton County, Indiana list him as being
a resident of Butler County, Ohio. The family always said John came as a
cabin boy at the age of 14 or 15, instead, it was John's father, the
immigrant John Ross, who came as a youth from Scotland.
John's brother, William, who went to Knox County, Ohio had a son, William,
who gave a biography for a county history stating that his grandfather, John
Ross of Greene County, PA came from Scotland. Nellie Huffman Henry's records
in the library in Danville, Illinois lists a John L. Ross as the father of
these children, the names of whom she lists correctly. She also states that
John married Lydia Conrad of the River Rhine, Germany and came across to
America soon thereafter. She lists the date of death correctly and also the
names of his children. John married Christina Conrad in Washington County,
Pennsylvania.
There is a stone in the Jefferson Cemetery, Clinton County, Indiana listing
John Ross, died September 2, 1849 ae68 y, 5m, 28d.
John Ross's first recorded land purchase in Butler County was June 19,1805 in
the Miami River Survey. He purchased more in August, 1805, 1810 and 1827.
His land was in Section 11, Township 3, Range 3 with a Mr. Barcalow giving
bond to make the deed.
John is listed in the 1850 Mortality Index for Clinton County, died September,
age 70, born in Pennsylvania.
From an article by Ed N. Thacker in the the Frankfort, Indiana, Morning
Times: "The first license for retailing groceries and the vending of foreign
and domestic liquors was issued to John Ross who had a store in Jefferson.
The annual license fee was $10.00. The first court in the county was held at
the home of John Ross on October 18, 1830. The first tavern in the county
was opened by John Ross.
When John Ross and his family came to Clinton County in 1828 there were only
seven white families in the county and the Ross boys had only Indian children
as friends and playmates. Our family tells of Samuel, William and Jacob
wrestling with Indian children.
John died intestate and the estate inventory and sale records for him show
all of his real estate and personal belongings as well as to whom they were
sold.
Music by
Barry Taylor, Victoria, B.C, Canada
