Lived for a time as a child west of Philadelphia, PA in Chester Co., PA
John Foos was a German.
He lived in German settlements and must have spoken German because his son Joseph was said to be fluent in German. He must have worked for others most of his life because his name does not often surface on deeds and tax records or he had a job that did not require owning property. In Kentucky it was a practice to rent a man land free for 5 years if he would clear a certain portion and build a cabin. John lived much of his adult life on the edge of civilization. He may have known about the Nola Chuckey region because of his military service at Ft Romney, which was built to guard against Indian raids. He was in Kentucky two years before it became a state and he was in Ohio three years before it became a state. These early settlements no doubt had a lot to do with the fact that his name is not found on government records. His place of burial is not known. A cemetery near Franklinton was not established until 1811.
John's property in Mason Co. Ky. was near unto Mayslick as told by recent researchers.
Another reason for believing that John was a son of Nicholas is because he named one child Valentine after his supposed brother and his youngest son Nicholas after his supposed father and brother.
John lived most of his life near to or in the company of Nicholas Foos Jr. assumed to be his brother.
John and Nicholas Jr were in the War for Independence. They were paid at Romney, VA in 1775 and both were later discharged from a Cumberland Co., PA regiment in 1781.
It is assumed that John lived at Nola Chuckey (Washington Co.), NC in 1787 where he witnessed a deed transaction for Nicholas Jr., involving a piece of land back in Pennsylvania. This was a new pioneer settlement in the Smokey Mts. which later became part of Tennessee when Tennesee became a state.
It is believed that John's son Valentine also lived here because Valentine's oldest son John claimed to have been born in Tennessee.
In 1790, John is on the tax records of Mason Co., KY. Whether he ever lived here we cannot prove. If he did it must have been only a short while because we find him getting married for the 3rd time Jan. 10, 1793 to Jane McChandless in Harrsin Co., KY.
In 1798, John bought land from William McChandless. Both were from Harrison Co. He paid £37 for 166 acres and he and Jenny sold it Sept. 3, 1799 for £170. They must have moved that fall to Franklin Co, Ohio because he (John) witnessed a deed for Joseph on March 1, 1800.
John died prior to May 3, 1803 when his estate became the first act of the Franklin Co. Court of appeals in the new state of Ohio. Jean (Jane?), Joseph and Valentine bought portions of the chattels offered for sale.
In 1809, a Jacob DeLong was appointed guardian of the three minor childred of the deceased John Foos, named Margaret, Mary (Polly), and Nicholas. Evidence indicates that Jane Foos had married the said DeLong and these children were her's from her previous marriage to John Foos.
Probably had 8 childred according to Will Griffith (co-founder of Springfield, Ohio).
4. Joseph Foos
Had 10 children.
Joseph was an early settler of Franklinton and helped establish Columbus, Ohio on the east bank of the Scioto River opposite Franklinton.
Joseph advocated a canal across Panama long before the Panama Canal was dug.
7. Nicolas Foos
Nicholas declared he served as private in Capt. Chamberlain's Ohio militia, drafted 1 Dec 1812/1813 at Franklinton. [Rejected]
Pension application from Iowa Co., Iowa for service in 1812 rejected in 1881.
Moved to Iowa Co., Iowa in 1856 with John A. Hunter.