Dear Tony:
My Boss line came directly to Iowa from Europe. John Boss (Johann) came to America in 1848 from Austria (with his wife, Agatha). His Grand Army of the Republic membership states his country of origin as Lichtenstein, his Civil War service listing has "Boss, John. Age 38. Residence Guttenburg, nativity Germany. Enlisted Aug. 16, 1862, as Fifth Corporal. Mustered Sept. 13, 1862. Taken prisoner April 9, 1864, Pleasant Hill, La. Returned to Company March 1, 1865. Reduced to ranks at his own request. Mustered out August 8, 1865, Clinton, Iowa". I have his naturalization papers and they say Austria. I also have this wonderful photo:
http://www.metrocast.net/~scottfamily/JohnBoss.jpgOur (small) Boss line has a family reunion in Iowa every year, though I'm too far away to attend.
You must be from the Iowa Boss line involved in the Boss Hotels? Maybe the Boss watch cases? There is certainly a cluster of Iowa Boss families on the Surname distribution tool by 1880:
http://www.hamrick.com/names/I can see your Rhode Island branch in 1850, but they've moved on by 1880.
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