John Harding Hovious Son of William HOVIOUS and Sarah HARDING. Born in Green County, KY on 7 May 1798. John married his first wife, Elinor STEEL, in Green Co., KY on 29 October 1818 (Elinor was born in Kentucky in 1799, a daughter of William Steel). They moved to Indiana together in late 1821 or early 1822, along with John's younger brother Stephen Hovious. Elinor died about 1823. John later married on 8 September 1824, at Bedford, Lawrence Co., IN, Eliza Emiline LITTEN. Eliza was born 24 Jul 1808, Morgantown, North Carolina, and died 30 Mar 1883, Monroe Co., IN.

John H. Hovious established a successful Hattery in Lawrence County. A history of the area says that "[An] early industry was the manufacture of hats....John Hovious owned [a hattery] giving employment to to two or three workmen. Hovious began in 1829 and continued until 1836. Hats sold for from 50 cents to $6.00." The family later lived in Monroe County, where rather than continue as a hatter, John took up farming.