buried in an unmarked grave at Zion Lutheran Church.
John Houser 1709-1763 md Mary George in York Co., Pa.‰ They had son John
who married a twice.‰ His 2nd marriage was to Elizabeth Boytkin? and they
in turn had a son Joseph. Joseph Houser b 22 Dec 1796 Lincoln Co., NC d
21 Apr 1884 Logan Co., ?Tn?. Joseph was married several times and from
his 2nd marriage (12/14/1819 Lincoln Co., NC) to Barbara Spangler b ca
1799 NC d. ca 1837 Knox Co., Tn.‰ They had the following children: 1.
Daughter b 1820/25 2. David b ca 1821 md (1) 1/25/1845 Tn Susannah Moore
d/o Nimrod Moore & Sarah Jones; md (2) 12/22/1859 Mary Ann Springer 3.
Noah b ca 1822 4.‰ Mary b ca 1825 5.‰ son b ca 1825/30 6.‰ John b ca 1832
7.‰ Sarah b ca 1833 8.‰ Adam George b 25 Oct 1835 md Syntha Davis 9.
Susan b 1837 Knox Co., Tn David had the following children with
Susannah Moore 1.‰ Joseph Nimrod b 28 Oct 1845 md Sarah Elizabeth
Chitwood 2.‰ James A. b 1 May 1847 Tn 3.‰ Sarah B. b 8 May 1849 Ar 4.
Mary Moore b Sep 1852 Ar 5.‰ Andrew J. b 14 Jan 1854 Ar 6.‰ Margaret J. b
18 Jan 1856 Ar md Joseph Smith bur Rees Cem Story Co., Ar 7.‰ son b 1 Feb
1858 d 1 Feb 1858 8.‰ son b 1 Feb 1858 d 27 Feb 1858 David had the
following children with Mary Ann Springer 1. Elizabeth b ca 1864 md
12/24/1885 Logan Co., Ar‰ to W.M. Grubbs I know most of this is already
listed on that webpage but this book did say Margaret was married to
Joseph Smith.
John Houser was about 17 years old when his father died, according to
Elmer A. Houser. John became the responsible member of the household
(mother and six younger siblings). His uncle Jacob Houser helped out,
but John inherited several hundred acres from his father, John Houser,
died and resorted to farming.2 SOUR S165
3 PAGE page 15.
Emigrated to North Carolina.
unmarked grave.
Emigrated from Lincoln County, NC to Knox County, TN.2 SOUR S165
3 PAGE page 16.
Excerpt from Elmer A. Houser:
"In 1795, after hearing glowing reports of life in Lincoln Co. North
Carolina from his brother, Henry, John began buying land there and he and
his brother Peter sold their land in York Co. and moved to Lincoln Co.
John received 1,400 Pounds Sterling for his land. While 200 year
extrapolations are highly unreliable, it is likely that 1,400 Pounds
would be equivalent to about $5 million today. So, John was a wealthy
man when he arrived in North Carolina. There is some basis for believing
that John spent a short time in South Carolina with his brother, Henry,
before settling in Lincoln Co.
"John lived in the Indian Creek/Howard Creek Communities of Lincoln Co.,
for approximately fifteen years. Several of his children grew to
adulthood and married there. However, about 1812, John got word that his
younger brother, George had come across an attractive situation in the
southeastern part of Knox Co. Tennessee, involving leasing large acreages
from the Cherokee Indians at a very low cost.
"So, John packed up several members of his family and set off for East
Tennessee. Though it was only about 150 miles 'as the crow flies,' it
involved a much more circuitous route around the rugged 6600 foot
Appalachian Mountains. Up the twisting valleys, steep slopes and through
the mountain 'gaps' the total travel distance was probably 3-400 miles.
About 1816, John moved almost his entire family to Knox Co."
and...."In accordance with treaties of the time, the land
'south-of-the-river,' (south of the Tennessee and French Broad Rivers)
was a part of the Cherokee Nation. However, by 1812 a number of fierce
'Indian fighters' such as John Sevier and several Indian and white
'Agents' had made some land available for settlement under lease
arrangements with the Cherokees. A few years later, new treaties were
made with the Indians, and John and George obtained title to their land,
George in 1816 and John in 1820.
"At any rate, John and George set about establishing a small German
speaking community in the 'Stock Creek' region of southeast Knox Co. At
first it was made up of about three dozen families, mostly children of
John and George. (John and George each had 13 children.) They
established their church. What was known as the German Lutheran Kirke of
St. Paul's (later Zion Lutheran) held their first meetings in the homes
of John and George Houser. By the spring of 1818, a log-block type
church was erected on land donated by John near the site of the present
Zion Lutheran Church."2 SOUR S165
3 PAGE pages 15, 16.
John HOUSER |