Colonel Thomas Moore
Colonel Thomas Moore, one of the oldest members of the bar in this county, was born in Quebec, Canada, July 28, 1822. He is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Moore, who were of Scotch-Irish descent. He was brought to Pennsylvania in 1828, where, after the sojourn of a year, his father died, in 1829 or 1830. With his mother and two brothers, he came to Ohio the year after, and settled in Oxford, in this county, where he went to school until removing to preble County, in 1833. When he was fifteen he bagan working at the tailor's trade, and after completing his time, labored for eight weeks as a journeyman, acquiring enough money in this time to carry him through one term at the Miami University, in the Fall of 1839. He was a student in that institution for some four years, working at his trade during vacations, and whenever the opportunity offered, and also teaching school, using the money thus acquired to gain an education.
Completing his course, he entered the office of L. D. Campbell, in Hamilton, about 1845, and read law with him. From this he went to Jackson & Hawkins, at Eaton, and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Ohio, at Columbus, in the Winter of 1845 and 1846. A year after he entered into a partnership with Judge William J. Gilmore, which lasted a year, and was dissolved by Judge Gilmore going to Eaton, where he married. Mr. Moore remained in Hamilton, and has been here ever since. He was elected State senator from Butler and Warren Counties in 1860, being the first Republican to fill that position. He was mayor of Rossville in 1850 or 1851, a position he soon after resigned. He was originally a member of the Associate Reformed Church, but for the past eight or ten years has been a member of the Presbyterian Church. In 1864 he was elected colonel of the One Hundred and Sixty-seventh Ohio National Guard, and commanded it during its service of four months in West Virginia. A full account of this regiment is given under the head of the Rebellion. They were mustered out at Hamilton, in September of that year.
The colonel was married in 1845, to Miss Mary C. Caldwell, who was born in Preble County in 1823. Mr. and Mrs. Moore are the parents of seven children, of whom five are living. Wilberforce is a member of the bar, in partnership with his father; E. Everett is a member of the legal profession, now a teacher and farmer of Missouri; Walter P. is a farmer of Missouri; Thomas Moore, Jr., is one of the local editors of the Hamilton Daily News; and Mamie is still at home. Colonel Moore has long been an active and laborious worker in the Republican cause, and before that in the Whig. He is a frequent speaker at temperance and Sunday-school meetings, and is interested in every thing that concerns this city or locality.
Joseph Garrison, who was sheriff of this county from 1856 to 1860, comes of an old family. His parents were early settlers. He was born in Madison Township on the 29th of November, 1825, and was married August 8, 1854, to Mary Ann Houser, daughter of John and Rachel Houser. She was born in Fairfield Township, January 8, 1834. They had two children. William J., the eldest child, died at the age of nine months. He was born march 24, 1856, and Mary Ann, October 10, 1858. Mr. Garrison was in the Mexican War, where he served as quartermaster's sergeant. His wife's brother, Samuel Houser, was in the late war for over three years. After ceasing to be sheriff, Mr. Garrison engaged in the manufacture of brick. He died December 9, 1865.
From A History and Biographical Cyclopædia of Butler County Ohio, With Illustrations and Sketches of its Representative Men and Pioneers, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati Ohio, 1882.