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Seth Curtis, son of Job and Mary (Cordry) Curtis, was born January 11, 1769, probably in Berkley County, Virginia. Berkley County records show that, in the spring of 1798, Seth was the suretor on a marriage bond for Mary Curtis and John Bailiff. His wife, Jane, whose maiden name is unknown at this writing, was born November 1, 1768. Seth and Jane were married around 1789, perhaps as an unexplained and unconfirmed note indicates, on January 8, 1789.

About 1799 the family moved to Kentucky. They boarded a flatboat at Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) and traversed the Ohio River to what is now Maysville, Kentucky. The Ohio River was one of the two major routes to Kentucky used by settlers of that period, the other being through Cumberland Gap. The above statement concurs with the family tradition that has been handed down that the family came from Wheeling. Apparently they went from Berkley County to Wheeling where they made the necessary preparations, perhaps even building or assisting in the building of a flatboat and traveled to Kentucky. Of the many receipts for taxes, and a variety of other things, is one dated at Maysville on December 30, 1799, although this particular receipt does not give Seth's name but refers to the bearer.

For several years Seth rented or leased a farm, of 114 acres, on Mill Creek in Mason County, from Thomas Marshall, a brother of John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The farm was located in the Marshall and Helena area of Mason County. Tax records of 1800 and the United States census of 1810 indicate the family were residents of Mason County. While in Mason County Seth served in the Kentucky militia as a member of a company commanded by Captain Isaac Reed.

Their first five children were born in what was then Virginia; the two younger children were born in Kentucky. Seth & Jane Curtis' children were:

Nancy Curtis, (B. September 22, 1790, D. August 22, 1794) died a month before her fourth birthday.

Mary (Polly) Curtis, (B. September 26, 1792) married William McMahill on December 10, 1807.

Sarah Curtis, (B. February 19, 1795) was the second wife of Henry Overbey; their marriage bond is dated November 29, 1826. Apparently Sarah died in her early thirties, as Henry married Mary (Polly) Crawford in late 1829.

Job Curtis, (B. January 9, 1797, D. August 28, 1858) the eldest son of Seth and Jane Curtis, married Margery Waring Compton Wheatley.

James Curtis, (B. November 15, 1798, D. April 11, 1880), the second son of Seth and Jane Curtis married Jane Beeler (B. 1811, D. April 8, 1879).

Jane Curtis, (B. January 17, 1801) the sixth child of Seth and Jane Curtis, married James T. Barnett on June 17, 1824.

Seth Curtis, Jr., (B. May 26, 1805) the third son of Seth and Jane Curtis, moved to Indiana in the late 1820s. It may be that he and his brother, James, moved there at the same time.

In 1812, Seth Curtis Sr. bought land in what was then Nicholas County and in 1867 became a part of Robertson County. (Deed) They had two other families as neighbors when they moved to Johnson's Creek. The Hildriths settled in 1804 and the Overbeys in 1810. In the words of Walter Curtis, who did a great deal of research on the Curtis and allied families; "They [Seth & Jane Curtis] arrived at last on their own domain never to wander again, living and working together, until death parted them 19 years later."

In July 1831, Jane, Seth's wife and companion of over 40 years, died. Seth never remarried and he resided, for the remainder of his life, with his eldest son, Job. Seth died January 24, 1854, at 85 years of age.

Eventually a village sprang up in the neighborhood, part of which was located on Seth's land. Many years after the family came to their new home, Seth's grandson, Francis E. (Frank) Curtis, named the village Piqua. Perhaps it was named after the Pickaway Indians. When the writers were boys, they can remember some of the older people using the pronunciation Pick-a-way instead of Pick-way.