Jacob Houser, eldest son of Abraham Houser (Sr.) and Nancy Rhorer Houser, was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, about the year 1771, where he grew to manhood and was married to Mrs. Mary (Phillips) Hoover about 1791. They only spent two or three more years in Maryland, for the pioneer spirit had seized them, and they must go and brave the hardships of pioneer life, so with their little possessions and two children, Susan and Nancy, they set out for the west, Kentucky being the goal to which they were headed. They traveled by wagon across the Allegheny mountains thence to the Ohio river, where they then built house boats and on these rude boats completed their journey down the river to a small village in Kentucky where they remained awhile and engaged in farming in a primitive way, but the country being heavily timbered it required a great many hard days' labor to clear and get even a small field ready for the plow. The soil was very rich and produced abundantly, but one great difficulty confronted them, -- there was no mill near in which to grind their grain into flour and meal, but as the pioneer is always equal to the emergency he met this need by going to work with willing hands and erecting a water-mill on the Kentucky river, where he lived and operated this mill and at this place all of their children were born except the oldest, Nancy and the two younger who were twins, Bradford and Braxton. In this time he had prospered financially for those early days, but reverses came and in one night's time his mill was swept away by a great flood, and, he then being discouraged, sold his home and moved to near Nicholasville, Jessamine County, Kentucky, where he again engaged in farming. They farmed successfully at this place but finally decided there were brighter prospects a little farther west so set out for a little village in Jefferson county (now the city of Louisville ), but found it a very unhealthy location so did not remain but one year, then moved to Spencer, Kentucky, [about 1823] and purchased a farm near Mount Eden, Kentucky, where the remainder of their life was spent. In appearance, Jacob Houser was a large stout fellow, his wife rather a small, delicate woman, and they both spoke the German language until they came to Spencer county and lived in a settlement of English speaking people, so gradually dropped the German. They possessed quite a library of books for that day and were counted people of more than ordinary intelligence and in addition to the common schools sent their children to German school, and were very devoted Christians, both members of what was then known as the Dunkard Baptist denomination. Their home was at any and all times a home for preachers, and often had church service at their home and Jacob himself often preached. He and his wife in their daily walk ever displayed their faith and love and obedience to God, and were indeed very worthy examples to all their descendants, who are doubtless greatly indebted to these noble ancestors for much of the really true success that has come into their lives. Mr. Houser visited his son Solomon and daughter Sallie and other relatives in Illinois twice, making the trip on horseback, there being no railroads at the time. He passed away peacefully in the year 1847 and the stone that marks his last earthly resting place is in the cemetery known as Benjamin Clarke Cemetery near Mount Eden, Kentucky.
