It is said that Francis arrived in the United States with his parents about the time of the American Revolution. Census records show North Carolina as his birth place, however. Family legend has it that he was living in his parents home with a brother and a sister when his parents were killed by the British. Frank and his brother escaped, but his sister, Margaret, is believed to have been kidnapped and was never heard from again. However, another story has Margaret also escaping and being taken in by another family. We do know that the house was burned and the children separated.

Sometime prior to 1784 Francis was among a group led into Kentucky by Daniel Boone. The first Nixon family found recorded in Kentucky were in a group from Virginia, who settled along Gilbert's Creek in Madison County, Kentucky. This group, made up of the William, Young, Johnston, Hampton, Falconer, Nixon and Chester families built a stockade known as Gilbert's Creek Baptist Church, the first church founded in Kentucky. The first deeds of land recorded to Nixons in Kentucky are Andrew Nixon of Delaware, Jonathan Nixon, Henry Nixon, and William Nixon of Virginia. Francis reached Kentucky when he was about 14 or 15 yrs. old and lived there for 17 yrs. There he became a frontiersman and a hunter. He has been described as a man of small stature (120 lbs.), but had a good running ability. His speed as a runner is said to have gotten him out of a few close scrapes with Indians.

Frank married Catherine Elliott February 24, 1798 in Madison County Kentucky. The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. Thomas Berry. Consent was given by guardian John Payne. (Assume this was Catherine's guardian).

At the start of the War of 1812, Frank, then 46, joined the Army and moved his family to Tennessee where his fourth son was born July 4, 1813. This son was named Andrew Jackson Nixon after the famous Tennessee General Andrew Jackson. 

After the War of 1812 Frank and Catherine moved to Alabama in 1816. Here their last three sons were born. They remained there until about 1828 or 1829 when then packed and moved to Tennessee. Their son Elliott remained in Alabama. Lorenzo Dow married Sarah Parker and moved to Fort Parker, Texas with the Parker family. Living locations: Rowan County, NC (dates unknown) 1798 - Madison Co., KY 1812-1816 - Tennessee 1818 - Madison & Limestone Counties, AL 1828/29 - Shelby Co., TN 1840 - Morgan Co., MO 1850 - Praire Township, Franklin Co., AR (just Frank & Catherine alone) 1860 - Six Mile Township, Franklin Co., AR

While living in Limestone Co., AL, Frank chose a very novel way of decorating his primitive cabin on Swan Creek, south of the present day Athens. In the book "The Lure and Lore of Limestone, County", it is said "He stuffed the entrails of a bear which he had killed and draped these adornments aroundthe inner walls of his house. To relieve the dun-color monotony of the entrails, he interspersed them with nice pods of red pepper." This same book states "Frank also showed his individuality in the names he chose for his children. They were Alexander the Great, John Coffee, Lorenzo Dow, General Jackson, George Washington, and James Monroe Liberty Independence."

There may have been another child born to Francis and Catherine in Alabama, but no information has been found on this child to date.

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