Henry Foland married in Virginia sometime before 1818, to Mary Emsmiller. Their son John, was born December 12, 1818. Just what happened to this family we do not know today, though there are some old tales of a wife who would not follow her husband to the Indiana wilderness. Be that as it may, there certainly was much bitterness between henry and Mary. In 1822, Henry is said to have walked from Virginia to Indiana, carrying his double-barreled shotgun and a willow walking stick. He was said to have been accompanied only by a hound dog, but I think he had a companion by the name of Wood, at least these two names were associated on the Deed records of the land bought that fall. All this land was, however in Henry Foland's name at the time of his death in 1839.

The story of the land sale has been long told among the early families here. Henry had no money and traded skins or game for his lodgings or his few supplies. His hair, beard and clothing were ragged and unkempt, in fact, a very disreputable figure. At the land sale, the government commissioner rather pointedly observed that he wanted no bids from any parties who were not prepared to pay for the land. Henry is said to have told him to, "Tend to your selling and let the buyer tend to the paying." Soon a tract of land was knocked off to Henry and the commissioner said, "I have attended to the selling. Let us see you attend to the paying." With a quick movement Henry Jerked the ramrod out of the gun, inserted the screw end in one barrel, drew out a rag to which there was a string tied. With this he drew the money from the gun and paid for the land on the spot. The land bought that day was more then 500 acres. Henry was said to have gone down to the river, taken a bath, cleaned up his clothes, combed and trimmed his hair, and beard and returned to the tavern, a Virginia gentleman and an Indiana landowner.

The following January, Hamilton County was created and divided into townships. The first election in his part of the county was held at the house of Henry Foland. He was one of the first two trustees of the poor for his township. He was a member of the first jury to try a case in Hamilton County. Later he was a Commissioner for his district.

Henry died the spring of 1839 and Elizabeth Freel (the Indiana wife) in December of the same year. After her death (to whom henry had willed all but one dollar of his property and at her death to her children) the Virginia wife , Mary Ensmiller, came into court and fought for a share of the estate. The state gave her a dower in the estate, but evidently did not like doing so for they assessed the cost of the suit against her.