Buena Vista County, IA
USGenWeb Project

Among those who are engaged in the real-estate business in Storm Lake none are more enterprising, active or diligent than Charles W. Moore, whose efforts have constituted the source of substantial development in this city, while at the same time they have contributed to his individual success.  He was born in Wellsburg, West Virginia, March 13, 1841, and in both the paternal and maternal lines comes of Irish and Welsh ancestry.  His parents were Robert and Eliza J. (Wells) Moore, the former a native of West Virginia and the latter of Brooke county, West Virginia.  The father devoted his time and energies to the occupation of farming and to the tanning business while still in the south, but in 1853 removed westward to Illinois, settling in McLean county, where he devoted his time and attention to the tilling of the soil.  Both he and his wife were members of the Disciples church, and they reared a family of eight children, of whom Charles Moore was the eldest.  In his political views Robert Moore was a whig until the dissolution of that party, when he joined the ranks of the new republican party and continued to march under its banners until his demise.  He died December 4, 1883, at the age of seventy years, while his wife passed away in 1894, at the age of seventy-two years.

No event occurred to vary the routine of farm life for Charles W. Moore in his boyhood and youth.  He attended the country schools and afterward became a student in the State Normal at Normal, Illinois.  He devoted thirteen years of his life to the profession of teaching, being connected at different times with the district and graded schools, his ability as an educator being clearly evidenced in the interest and enthusiasm which he awakened in his pupils.  In 1877 he came to Iowa and has since made his home in Storm Lake.  Here he became a clerk in the postoffice [sic] under S. W. Young, while later he was principal of the schools of this city for a year.  He was then again in the postoffice for another year and in 1882 he became connected with the commercial interests of the city, opening a general store in connection with W. F. Foster, under the firm style of Foster & Moore.  For about three years he conducted business along that line and from January, 1885, until 1889, was engaged in the insurance business.  He next resumed teaching in the rural schools and later was again in the postoffice for a year and a half.  In November 1891, he was elected to the position of county treasurer, in which capacity he served for four years and on the expiration of that period he opened an insurance and real-estate office, which he has since maintained, being well known in this connection in Storm Lake.  He has a good clientage in both departments and has handled much property in this city, at the same time annually writing a large amount of insurance.  He has also filled the position of justice of the peace for the past eight years and his decisions are characterized by the utmost impartiality.

Mr. Moore was a young man at the time of the Civil war but his patriotism was no less pronounced than that of many a veteran of twice his years.  On the 20th of August, 1861, he enlisted at Bloomington, Illinois, as a private of Company G. Thirty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for a little more than three years, taking part in many hotly-contested battles, including the engagements at Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Black River, the siege of Vicksburg and the siege of Fort Esperanza, Texas.  He was wounded at Vicksburg by a gunshot in the left shoulder and spent about four months in the hospital before he was able to rejoin his command.  He has been equally loyal to his country in days of peace and is widely known as a public-spirited citizen.  He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in E. D. Baker Post, No. 80, and he delights in recalling the events which occurred upon the battle-fields in the south.

On the 30^th of November, 1871, Mr. .Moore was married to Miss Emma A. Dean, who was born in Tremont, Illinois, March 6, 1843.  They became the parents of two children, but both died in infancy.  Mr. Moore is a consistent member of the Christian church and his wife is a member of the Universalist church and Woman’s Relief Corps.  Mr. Moore gives his political allegiance to the republican party and he cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln in 1864.  Upon that ticket he has been elected to a number of local offices.  He is now serving for the ninth year as city assessor, for the past four years has been a trustee of Storm Lake township and is now serving his twenty-fifth year as secretary of the school board.  The various interests which constitute a part of our municipal organization finds in him a worthy champion and at all times he labors earnestly and effectively to promote the material, intellectual, social, political and moral progress of his adopted city.  Few men of the community have a wider acquaintance and none have more friends than does Charles W. Moore.