John Moore was born September 8, 1793, in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. His parents died when he was young, and he was apprenticed to a wheelwright in Sibsey, England. At about age 18, he left England for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before returning and beginning his trek to the United States.
He arrived in Alexandria, VA, eventually making his way to Cincinnati, OH, where he married Gabrilla Minzer. They had eight children together and eventually moved to Indiana for a short period and then to McLean County in 1830. Moore served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Mexican War, and worked as a schoolteacher and postmaster, among other occupations. His elected offices include Justice of the Peace (1831), Illinois House of Representatives (1836-1840), Illinois Senate (1840-1842), Lieutenant Governor (1842-1846), and Illinois State Treasurer (1848-1857). He was a member of the Democrat Party.
After politics, he became a trustee of the Illinois Central Railroad. In April 1866, he underwent an operation to restore his failing eyesight which permanently marred his health. He died September 23, 1866, at age 72 in Boston, with his cause of death attributed to disease of the prostate and kidney. He is buried in Randolph Township. Throughout his life, he was known as “Honest” John Moore by the public.
The collection consists of an 1808 indenture, correspondence, receipts, certificates, deeds, and other papers authored by or related to John Moore, most dating from 1820s to 1860s.