Tribute No. 1:William Smith Moore was born Feb. 20, 1835, the oldest of eight children born to Anthony Moore and Nancy Paxton Holt Moore, all of whom lived to maturity except the third child, Elizabeth, who died when 18 months old. All of the children were born and reared in a log house one mile from Tusculum College and 4 1/2 miles east of Greeneville. His father owned and tilled a small farm, a part of the original grant of Great-Grandfather Anthony Moore. The Moore's were of Scotch-Iris descent. William's maternal grandmother was Elizabeth Smith, the daughter of an Irish weaver, therefore the name William Smith. His great-grandfather, Anthony Moore, was born in 1732, died in 1822. His Grandfather David Moore was born May 14th, 1769 an died Nov. 19, 1846. His father, Anthony Moore, was born June 26, 1803 and died July, 1885.
Great-grandfather Anthony Moore Sr. lived in Pennsylvania in the forks of the Delaware. He belonged to Mt. Bethel Church in Greene County, Tennessee, located on mile from Greeneville. Tradition says the first preaching in Greene County was in the house of Great-grandfather. The kitchen part of the house is still standing on the old Moore place by the big spring. Great-grandfather moved to Tennessee near the close of the Revolutionary War, when his only son, David, was about nine years old. The large connection of our kinfolks are the off-spring and worthy descendants of the six sisters and the one brother David. Great grandfather's descendants are noted for the large number of Presbyterian ministers and elders. Thus far as to William's ancestors.
William Moore united with the Mt. Bethel church May 25, 1851, during the ministry of Rev Samuel Wyley. (At the same time Alfred Wilson and James H. Robinson united.) He was dismissed by letter Nov. 4, 1860; John R Moore was dismissed Sept. 19, 1858. Evidently, William, John R's family and some others moved to Arkansas in the fall of 1858.
William wrote a good hand and was fairly well informed on general matters essential to successful life, but his school days were rather brief. When a boy he attended at a log house on the old Moore place. One winter while staying with Aunt Polly Moore he probably went a few weeks to the old Rice School House, under Samuel Lyrtle who married Sarah Wilson. He also went some to his uncle, Dr. John Moore, as his brothers, Charles, Joe and Jeremiah did. For a number of years at different times Dr. Moore had a few boys recite to him in his own house. Dr. Moore was a great teacher. How long William went to him I do not know, perhaps not a great while.
William went early in life to learn his trade of wagon-maker in the home of John R. Moore in Greeneville. He often visited home, was careful to write home and always good to help his father in any special stress of work. It was his rule to spend from a week to ten days at home in harvest, before he went west. He was truly a loyal son and a big brother to all the family. He was social in his nature, generous almost to a fault, and a lover of his kith and kin.
(The foregoing is signed by Jeremiah Moore, his brother, who was a president of Tusculum College at Tusculum, Tenn.)
William Moore united with the Mt. Bethel church May 25, 1851, during the ministry of Rev Samuel Wyley. (At the same time Alfred Wilson and James H. Robinson united.) He was dismissed by letter Nov. 4, 1860; John R Moore was dismissed Sept. 19, 1858. Evidently, William, John R's family and some others moved to Arkansas in the fall of 1858.
William wrote a good hand and was fairly well informed on general matters essential to successful life, but his school days were rather brief. When a boy he attended at a log house on the old Moore place. One winter while staying with Aunt Polly Moore he probably went a few weeks to the old Rice School House, under Samuel Lyrtle who married Sarah Wilson. He also went some to his uncle, Dr. John Moore, as his brothers, Charles, Joe and Jeremiah did. For a number of years at different times Dr. Moore had a few boys recite to him in his own house. Dr. Moore was a great teacher. How long William went to him I do not know, perhaps not a great while.
William went early in life to learn his trade of wagon-maker in the home of John R. Moore in Greeneville. He often visited home, was careful to write home and always good to help his father in any special stress of work. It was his rule to spend from a week to ten days at home in harvest, before he went west. He was truly a loyal son and a big brother to all the family. He was social in his nature, generous almost to a fault, and a lover of his kith and kin.
(The foregoing is signed by Jeremiah Moore, his brother, who was a president of Tusculum College at Tusculum, Tenn.)
Tribute No. 2:
Soon after coming to Arkansas, William Moore engaged in the wagon-making and blacksmith business with John R. Pyeatt of Cane Hill. A few years later he married Mr. Pyeatt's daughter, Katherine. She was an earnest Christian and had as good an education as a girl could get there at that time. She was a good help and often teaching with a baby on her lap. There were six children: Henry, Charles, Lonnie, Bettie, Lucy and Melvin. Four lived to be grown.
After four years service with the South in the Civil War, he and Mr. Pyeatt and his son Henry Pyeatt engaged in the flour mill and saw mill business. Their earliest machinery was bought at Cincinnati, Ohio and brought by boat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and up the Arkansas as far as boats could go, thence over the mountains by wagons. Henry Pyeatt later retired from the partnership and became a merchant.
With his farm and mill, William Moore led a busy life. In those buys years he was always learning something worth while. He bought books, good ones, and read as often as he could, in some measure gratifying that thirst for knowledge which characterized his early life. As a boy plowing in the field, he wanted to write and "cipher" so badly that he would mark on his shoes trying to learn. He took a number of newspapers always some church papers, also milling and farming papers. He bought books to help in the Christian life and to aid in his Sunday School work. As Superintendent or teacher for more than 50 years, he was always trying to improve his work. In the church he served as deacon and as elder for 40 years or more.
While the children were small, Mother died. Later he married cousin Josephine Moore. She was a strong helpful woman and carefully reared the children, though a great task it must have been. She died after they were all grown. Later he married another good woman, Mother's cousin, Annie Crawford. A fortunate man was he in having three such helpmeets.
He was 70 young in spirit, strong in body, and cheerful in heart. He was seldom sick. Though working hard, he did not abuse his health, and at 80 could drive his binder to cut his what crop.
Family prayers were always held in his home. Rare indeed was the occasion when this was omitted. It was not a pretentious home, but was a home that we loved because father was there, which meant love dwelt there. His last illness was about ten days. He underwent an operation from which he did not recover. He "passed Over" as the church bells were ringing on Sunday morning, June 3, 1917. Always we shall thank God for such a father.
Written by his daughter Lucy
** Taken from pages 7-8 of the WCHS's publication FLASHBACK Vol. XI, No. 4 November, 1961
Soon after coming to Arkansas, William Moore engaged in the wagon-making and blacksmith business with John R. Pyeatt of Cane Hill. A few years later he married Mr. Pyeatt's daughter, Katherine. She was an earnest Christian and had as good an education as a girl could get there at that time. She was a good help and often teaching with a baby on her lap. There were six children: Henry, Charles, Lonnie, Bettie, Lucy and Melvin. Four lived to be grown.
After four years service with the South in the Civil War, he and Mr. Pyeatt and his son Henry Pyeatt engaged in the flour mill and saw mill business. Their earliest machinery was bought at Cincinnati, Ohio and brought by boat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and up the Arkansas as far as boats could go, thence over the mountains by wagons. Henry Pyeatt later retired from the partnership and became a merchant.
With his farm and mill, William Moore led a busy life. In those buys years he was always learning something worth while. He bought books, good ones, and read as often as he could, in some measure gratifying that thirst for knowledge which characterized his early life. As a boy plowing in the field, he wanted to write and "cipher" so badly that he would mark on his shoes trying to learn. He took a number of newspapers always some church papers, also milling and farming papers. He bought books to help in the Christian life and to aid in his Sunday School work. As Superintendent or teacher for more than 50 years, he was always trying to improve his work. In the church he served as deacon and as elder for 40 years or more.
While the children were small, Mother died. Later he married cousin Josephine Moore. She was a strong helpful woman and carefully reared the children, though a great task it must have been. She died after they were all grown. Later he married another good woman, Mother's cousin, Annie Crawford. A fortunate man was he in having three such helpmeets.
He was 70 young in spirit, strong in body, and cheerful in heart. He was seldom sick. Though working hard, he did not abuse his health, and at 80 could drive his binder to cut his what crop.
Family prayers were always held in his home. Rare indeed was the occasion when this was omitted. It was not a pretentious home, but was a home that we loved because father was there, which meant love dwelt there. His last illness was about ten days. He underwent an operation from which he did not recover. He "passed Over" as the church bells were ringing on Sunday morning, June 3, 1917. Always we shall thank God for such a father.
Written by his daughter Lucy
** Taken from pages 7-8 of the WCHS's publication FLASHBACK Vol. XI, No. 4 November, 1961
No comments:
Post a Comment