MOORE, David
David MOORE. No country affords greater
opportunity to the poor man than our own; it is, indeed, the
poor man’s country. Here an industrious, frugal man has a chance
to accumulate wealth. Many fail to do so, but the best of our
population lay by some of their earnings and soon find
themselves in possession of a handsome property. Among them is
the gentleman whose name heads this article, and who is now
living a retired life in Wenona.
His parents, David and Mary (BROWN) MOORE,
were born, reared and married in New Jersey,
and about 1815 removed to
Ohio, settling in Waynesville, where the
father worked at his trade of a tailor for four years. He then
located on a farm in Preble county, that state, in the midst of
the forest, which he at once began to clear and improve, and
there made his home until 1855. In that year he came to Illinois to live with his son, and there made
his home until his death, at the age of ninety-eight years. His
wife passed away in
Ohio
at the age of fifty-seven years. In their family were five
children: Samuel, deceased; David, of this review; Nathaniel, of Chicago; Mrs. May LINTNER, deceased, and Sarah
Bell, also deceased.
Our subject was born November 15, 1813, in
Gloucester county, New Jersey,
but was reared upon a farm in Ohio until seventeen years of age, when he
began learning the trade of a shoemaker, which he followed for
about fifteen years. In Ohio, on the 17th of March, 1836, he
married Miss Ann BORADAIL, also a native of New Jersey, and they
became the parents of five children: Rebecca, the oldest, is
deceased; Arthur, who became sergeant in the Light Artillery
under Captain Vaughn, died near Bolivar, Tennessee, March 7,
1863; Mary Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of George G.
McADAM, by whom she had three children, Ulysses, Arthur and
William; Martha Sarah and Anna are also deceased.
After his marriage, Mr. MOORE continued to
engage in shoemaking, and in connection with his brother also
conducted a store in Israel
township, Preble county, Ohio,
for four years, after which he removed to
Kokomo,
Indiana, and started a grocery and
bakery. He also had a slaughter house and steam sawmill at that
place, but most of his property was later destroyed by fire,
leaving him in limited circumstances. He next removed to a farm
near Fairfield, in Howard county, Indiana, which he operated
three years, and in 1857 came to Illinois, locating upon a
partially improved farm in Evans township, Marshall county,
where he made his home until 1865. he then purchased a farm on
Sandy
creek, which he continued to improve and cultivate until 1891,
when his wife died, and he removed to a farm adjoining that
place, which he bought of his brother. In 1894, however, he came
to Wenona, where he now finds a pleasant home.
On the 14th of August of that year, Mr.
MOORE was united in marriage with Mrs. Carrie LEZEAR, who was
born January 27, 1828, in Tyler
county, West Virginia, and is a daughter of James C. and Sarah L.
(MUSSER) WILLIAMSON, the former a native of
Wellsburg,
Pennsylvania, and the latter of Lancaster, the same state.
Her parents both belonged to old
Pennsylvania
families, were married in that state and later removed to West Virginia, where they made their
permanent home and there died. The father, who was educated at Wellsburg, Pennsylvania,
became a physician, but later devoted most of his time to
agricultural pursuits. His father had served as a soldier in the
Revolutionary war.
Mrs. MOORE is one of a family of twelve
children, who, in order of birth, are as follows: John M., Alex
and James, all deceased; William and Elbert, twins, the latter
of whom is deceased; Theodore A., who lives in Sardis, Ohio;
Eliza Jane, deceased; Adeline, who is a widow of Samuel COX and
lives in Sistersville, West Virginia; Theodosia, deceased; Mrs.
MOORE, Philip Dodridge, deceased, and Henry R., who also lives
in Sistersville. One son, John M., was a soldier in the civil
war, Mrs. MOORE was educated in West Virginia, and on reaching
womanhood married Frank LAZEAR, by whom she had four children,
James, Elbert, Leroy and Eliza Jane. The father of these
children is now deceased.
Mr. MOORE still owns three hundred and
thirty-one acres in Evans township, eighty acres in Bolivar
county, Missouri, two houses and lots in Wenona and one-third
interest in forty-five lots in Streator, Illinois, all of which
property has been gained through his own individual efforts,
although he received some assistance form his father, but he has
given away more than he ever received. In politics he is a
stanch republican, and religiously is a member of the Society of
Friends, while his wife has for forty-five years been an active
member of the Methodist church.
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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