JESSE'S NAME HAS BEEN SPELLED ALMOST ANY CONCEIVABLE WAY THAT IT MIGHT SOUND: BIAS, BIASS, BYOUS, BYAS, BYUS, EVEN BIAL IN ERROR.

According to census records, his birthdate is thought to be about 1786 in VA or WV or KY. The reason for the change in locations of his birth is attributable to the state lines changing about that time. Click on link here to go to a narrative about the changing lines.

I found a Jesse listed on the War of 1812 roster that I am checking into. There was also a Hyram, Armstrong and Hiram listed as well. Since Jesse named his sons Hiram and Armstrong, it may be possible that this is our Jesse. If his birthdate is correct, he would have been about 25 at that time. Also, as noted below, Jesse and first wife Rhoda had no children until 1815 which is unusual (married 6 years and no children??). This may be because Jesse was in military service.

The first record found on paper for Jesse was when he married Rhoda BLOYD January 23, 1809 in Green Co., KY. He would have been about 23 at that time. Their marriage record was found in the records Early Bluegrass Marriages 1793-1810. Here is a copy of their marriage bond:

Rhoda is believed to be the daughter of John BLOYD and Mary McCUBBINS (we think that was her last name). Rhoda is said to have been born in North Carolina per census records. State lines there ALSO changed about that time so this is also speculative. She may have been born in Green Co., KY.

They were found on the 1810 Barron Co., KY census so we know they were in KY until then. His children were born when he was between the ages 29 and 41.

Their children, all sons, were born in KY:

1. Hiram, was born 1815 in KY (assumed Green Co.)

Jesse would have been 29 then. It's unusual for 6 years to pass before the first child is born back then so Jesse may have been in the military, away from home, or another child we don't know of may exist.

2. Washington Armstrong "Bank" was born 1825 in (possibly) Floyd Co., KY.

3. Jesse, Jr. was born 1827 in KY (presumed Floyd Co.) Some people doubt that this is Jesse, Sr's son, but Morris Bias, relative of Sharon Bias in CA had records ready to present to the mormon church that states he was from this family.

It was about this time that he moved to Taney Co., MO as he was also found on the 1840 Taney Co., MO census.

Taney Co., MO was formed 1837 from Greene Co.
Ozark Co was formed from Taney in 1841.
Howell Co was formed from Ozark and Oregon Co about 1844 or 1845

1840 Taney Co census:
1 male 50-60 (1780-1790--Jesse Bias b. 1786 VA)
1 female 20-30 (1810-1820--Sarah Jane b. 1818 IN)
1 male 15-20 (1820-1825)
1 male 10-15 (1825-1830--"Bank" b. 1825 KY
1 male 10-15 (1825-1830)
1 female 10-15 (1925-1830)
1 male 5-10 (1830-1835--William (Jesse/Jane) b. 1835 IN
1 female under 5 (1835-1840--Polly b 1937 MO (Jesse/Jane))
1 female under 5 (1835-1840--Mary b. 1838 MO)

Since Jesse was found with JANE on the 1840 Taney Co., MO census, apparently Jesse and Rhoda split up or she died about the time of the move to MO. Jesse married Jane 1831 in Warrick Co., IN per records.

Per Silas Turnbo's Tales of the Ozarks, Jesse is said to be the "first settler on Shoal Creek" and mentions the location as ".....Shoal Creek -- the Jess Bias Place a mile and a half south of the present site of Pro-tem. This land was known years afterward as the Owen Place".

Per Corky York, when they came to MO they walked in leading pack ponies. They lived in tents and hunted wildlife to survive. Corky has a letter or note written by his grandfather (John Armstrong Bias, son of Hiram Bias) about this.

The TABOR families were the next family to move to Taney Co., MO after Jesse. Hiram Bias, Jesse and Rhoda's son, married Nancy Jane Tabor. Hiram had probably met Nancy when they were in IL and the Tabor's may have follow them to MO.

About 1844-1845, Jesse and his son, Armstrong "Bank" gave their land to Hiram when they decided to move to Washington Co., AR near Springdale/Fayetteville, AR. Jesse would have been about 60 then.

Turnbo's Tales mentions the HERREAN's moving into the "Jess Bias Place" in 1845. So apparently Jesse moved to AR about then.

Hiram's son, Gideon, Sr., married Sarah Herrean, daughter of Martin "Mort" Herrean and Ede Tabor. Go to their page below.

SIMON HERREAN PAGE

Jesse and Jane were found on the 1850 and 1860 Washington Co., AR, Clear Creek Township census (listed below) with "Bank" and several other older and younger children.

Children with Jane were:

1. William, b. 1835,

2. Polly, b. 1837,

3. Mary, b. 1838,

THE STORY BELOW HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED SO TAKE IT AS LEGNED ONLY UNLESS YOU PROVE IT.....IF YOU PROVE IT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW....:-)

Per information from a relative of Mary's, a story is told of her father (Jesse Sr.) killing Mary's husband, Daniel Bender. Daniel and Mary had been married about a month. Mary's daughter, Lucinda, told her daughter Mary told her Jesse and some other men dragged Daniel out of his bed in about 1861 and shot him for being "a spy". Mary heard one shot. Jesse was said to be a Union Army recruiter, but remember this is not proven. Apparently he thought Daniel was for the Confederates. There is apparently no documentation of this as when a relative tried to check it out for herself she was told by Civil War re-enactors in Arkansas that those things were never documented or even talked about. The alleged spy was killed quietly and the body disposed of. Family and friends just didn't see them again. No proof exists of this so remember it may be just a story even though it was passed down thru the family from Mary herself. =

4. John A., b. 1841,

5. Sarah Elizabeth, b. 1845,

6. Rachael, b. 1847,

7. Lydia, b. 1848, (she was blind)

8. James, b. 1854.

This means Jesse had these children with Jane between the age of 45 and 68. William, Polly, Mary, John and maybe Sarah E. would have been born in MO based on the dates figured out so far. Censuses are not conclusive as they show BOTH states for birth locations at one time or another.

Jane was blind per census records and family stories. An 80-year-old relative stated that Jane was full-blood indian, tribe unknown, but no proof yet on this either.

So this brings us up to about the time of Jesse's death. Estate records in Washington Co., AR show he died before 2-26-1870 and the estate was probated about April 1870 by John Howard HOLCOMB, his son-in-law (husband of Rhoda Biass). Bobbie Byars-Lynch found this record in Fayetteville.

He is apparently buried in Washington Co., AR in an unmarked grave SOMEWHERE.

This is his story the best I can figure it out. If you disagree or have proof to the contrary, please contact me.