Joshua Moore, a native born citizen of Ripley Township, and an esteemed pioneer citizen of Rush County, was born in the same house he at present occupies, December 2, 1826. He was the son of Samuel and Rebecca T. (White) Moore, both of whom were natives of Perquimans County, N.C., the former of English and Irish, and the latter of English descent. He was reared upon the old homestead where he was born, and at the age of twenty-two he began to learn the trade of blacksmith. He served as an apprentice in a shop on the present site of the village of Mooresville, Hancock County, for four years, by which time he had a good knowledge of the trade. In the meantime he had become the partner of the man with whom he served his apprenticeship, and finally, at the end of the fourth year, he became the sole owner of the shop and assumed the full responsibility of discharging the duties of village blacksmith. He continued to devote his whole attention to his trade for a period of twenty-five years, and his labors in that connection were entirely performed in the self-same little village of Mooresville, which had naturally taken the name of its most conspicuous citizen, Mr. Moore.
In the meantime, on the 2nd of April 1857, he was married to Miss Mary Bufkin, who is a native of Cadiz, Henry County, this State, born June 5, 1837. She was the daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Kinnick) Bufkin, who were natives of Ohio, and Maryland, respectively.
In August, 1837, Mr. And Mrs. Moore settled upon the old Moore homestead, in Ripley Township, which was the birth place and boyhood home of the former. Since then the attention of Mr. Moore has been given to farming. He and wife have had four children, as follows: Lanora A., and a twin sister who were born April 28, 1858, the latter died unnamed, and the former died September 15, 1858. Their third child is Lindley Murray, born June 30, 1861, and the fourth is Emma Annie born April 20, 1865. Mr. And Mrs. Moore and both son and daughter, are members of the Friends Church. In politics Mr. Moore is a Prohibitionist.
