John Cleves Symmes (July 21, 1742 – February 26, 1814[1]) was a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey, and later a pioneer in the Northwest Territory.

John was born in Riverhead in what was then the Province of New York, a part of British America, on July 21, 1742.

When the Revolutionary war began in earnest, he served as Colonel of the 3rd Regiment of the Sussex County militia from 1777 to 1780.

Symmes represented New Jersey in the Continental Congress (1785–1786), then, in 1788, moved to the west, settling in what later became North Bend, Ohio.

The purchase price was $225,000, and was paid in notes issued by the Congress to raise money during the Revolutionary War.

There is no doubt that a considerable part of this amount came from Symmes in the first place as he lent most of his own money to the revolution.

In the last years of his life, he spent a great deal of time in court, defending himself from claims, and died in poverty.