Among the practical and enterprising farmers of Brown township, Miami county, none is more worthy of high regard than Mr. Moore, and it is therefore with pleasure that we present the record of his life to our readers as that of a representative citizen of the community. He was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, ten miles north of the Ohio river, on the 18th of February, 1830, his parents being Isaac and Mary (Watkins) Moore. Their marriage was celebrated ten miles south of Dayton, Ohio, and later they removed to the Hoosier state. The father was a native of Maryland and when a young man came with his parents to the west, driving a team from Maryland to Dearborn county, Indiana. Taking up his abode in this state, he was employed on the locks at Franklin, and there he met his wife while boarding with the Watkins family in Centerville. The lady was a daughter of William Watkins, who came to Ohio from Kentucky, and her birth occurred in the Buckeye state, in 1811. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moore returned to Indiana, and when their son John was three months old they took up their abode at Centerville, Ohio, and the father operated the Watkins farm until the fall of 1831, when he came to Miami county, establishing a home in the north-eastern corner of Brown township, adjoining the boundary line between Miami and Champaign counties and a mile south of the Shelby county line. About fifteen. acres of the land had been cleared and a two room log house had been built. Several families from Centerville came to the county about the same time, and the Moore family made a permanent location here. The father developed a good farm of one hundred and sixteen acres and thus aided in reclaiming the land for the purpose of civilization. He died in 1879, at the age of seventy-five years, his birth having occurred in 1804. His wife had passed away some years previous, being about sixty years old at the time of her death. In the family were nine children, five of whom were living at the time of the father's death, while three yet survive. These were: J. W., of this review; Thomas S., who is living in Brown township; Martha Jane, wife of Thompson Counts, also of Brown township; Joseph M., who died at the age of forty-five, leaving a widow, who is living in Conover; and Alexander, who died at the age of sixty years, leaving a widow, who resides in Lena. These were the only members of the family who reached years of maturity. The father was one of the original class of Methodists in Lena and contributed to the building of a log house of worship known as the Mt. Vernon church. In politics he was a Democrat, but never took an active part in political affairs. His wife was a lady of domestic tastes, her interests centering in her family, and for many years prior to her death she was an invalid.

John Watkins Moore spent the first eighteen years of his life upon the old homestead and then learned the wagonmaker's trade with Israel Roberts, of Lena, serving a three-years apprenticeship, during which time he received thirty dollars per year and his board. On the expiration of that period he bought the business of his employer, in connection with the latter's son, William Roberts, his wages being applied as part of the purchase price. The shop was located on the stage route between Columbus and Piqua, and as that was then a greatly traveled road he did a good business, their partnership continued for eleven years. They had learned the trade together and the most pleasant relationship existed between them. On the expiration of that period Mr. Moore sold his interests to Mr. Roberts, who still conducts the shop.

Turning his attention to agricultural pursuits, our subject operated a rented farm for six years, and in 1861 he purchased his present farm of eighty acres for which he paid forty-three dollars per acre. The greater part of it was covered with heavy timber and but few improvements had been made, but through his enterprising efforts Mr. Moore has nearly the entire tract under cultivation. He realized a fair income from his timber, which was used both for wood and conversion into lumber in a sawmill in the neighborhood. Since coming to the farm he has devoted his attention exclusively to its development and improvement, has increased its boundaries by the purchase of an additional forty acres, and has made a specialty of the raising of grain. The place is well drained, for he has placed about four hundred rods of tiling upon it, thus reclaiming a swampy tract and making it very profit-able. His improvements include a comfortable residence and first-class outbuildings, together with all the accessories and conveniences of a model farm of the twentieth century.

Mr. Moore was married October 26, 1854, to Hannah Howland, a daughter of Albert and Caroline (Throckmorton) Howland. Several families came from New Jersey, by wagon to Warren county, Ohio, and with the party were Albert Howland and Caroline Throckmorton, the former then eighteen and the latter fourteen years of age. Not long after this they were married and two children were born to them in Warren county. In 1825 they came to Brown township, establishing a home in the southern part of that section of the county. It was here that Mrs. Moore was born, August 4, 1833, and upon the old family homestead the parents spent their remaining days, the father dying at the age of seventy-five, the mother when fifty-three years of age. They had a family of ten children, seven of whom reached years of maturity: Deborah, wife of Edmond Lewis, of Casstown; Lydia, wife of Michael Duncan, of Fletcher; Jane, wife of John Weatherhead, of Troy; George, a resident of Girard, Illinois; John, who was engaged in the livery business in Troy at the time of his death; Albert, who resided near Decatur, Illinois, at the time of his death; and Hannah. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Moore have been born two sons--Albert Howland and Faren Isaac. The former married Sarah J. Flowers and operates one of his father's farms. By this union he has three children,--Hattie, wife of Jason Bair; Horace and Clifford. Faren I. Moore married Dema Moon, a daughter of James and Harriet (Dorsey) Moon, whose farm lies both in Shelby and Champaign counties. Charity chapel stands upon a portion of the tract. Mr. Moon is a son of Mahlon Moon, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio when four years old, at which time his parents located in Greene county. At the age of eighteen he came to the farm upon which his son James resided and there died at the age of eighty-four years. James Moon became the owner of the old homestead and operated that farm throughout his remaining days, extending its boundaries by additional purchases. He died May 3, 1897, at the age of seventy-five years, and his widow still occupies the old farm. At his death he left six children, three of whom are in Miami county, namely: William, who is a trustee of Brown township; Mrs. Moore; and Sarah Ellen, wife of Alex Mahan, of Lost Creek township. Mrs. Moore was born on the old family homestead, June 11, 1871, and was married January 29, 1891, to Faren I. Moore. They have had two children--Irena Dale, who died at the age of two and a half years; and Clara Marie. Faren I. Moore operates his father's farm. Both sons were at home until their marriage and were provided with good educational privileges. Mr. Moore and his wife, his sons and their wives are members of the Charity Chapel Christian church, of which he is a deacon and trustee. In politics he is a Democrat, but has never sought or desired political preferment, his time and attention being closely given to his business affairs, in which he has met with creditable success.