New York, Lewis Publishing Co. 1903
John W. Moss
page 227
John W. Moss was born December 17, 1830, in Putnam county, Indiana, his parents being Francis and Mary (Webster) Moss, both of whom were natives of Virginia. The father died in Putnam county, Indiana, at the age of sixty-eight years, and the mother afterward came to Iowa, spending her last days in Pleasant township, Monroe county, where she died at the very advanced age of ninety-one years. In the family of this worthy couple were nine children, eight of whom reached years of maturity.
In taking up the history of John W. Moss we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in this portion of Iowa. He remained upon the home farm in the Hoosier state until twenty-one years of age and his boyhood’s training was such as to make him familiar with farm work in its various departments. The mental discipline which he had was that afforded by the common schools and on attaining his majority he left Indiana, believing that he might have better business opportunities in a district further west.
Accordingly he came to this state in the year 1853. After a year, however, he returned east and in 1855 he again came to Iowa, settling in Monroe county, where he has since made his home. In 1860 he purchased one hundred and fifteen acres of land, but of this he has since sold a portion and he now owns one hundred acres. Mr. Moss has made the place what it is to-day, a valuable and well improved farm, but this statement but faintly indicates the years of earnest labor which have been devoted to the farm. After taking up his abode here he worked early and late in order to place his fields under cultivation, practicing the rotation of crops in order to keep the land productive and following progressive methods that have become known to the farmer as time has advanced.
He had no special educational privileges to aid him, in fact, he pursued his studies while seated upon a slab bench in a log schoolhouse. In him, however, was the strength of character that caused him to brook no obstacles that could be overcome by persistent and determined energy and his labor has been the ladder upon which he has risen to the plane of affluence. There is now evidence that his farm is underlaid with one of the richest coal veins in the county or state, and in the development of this there lies in store for Mr. Moss a handsome competence, of which he is certainly deserving as a reward for his career of industry.
On the 15th of November, 1860, occurred the marriage of our subject and Mary Miller, the widow of Abraham Kingery. She was born in Ohio and by this union has become the mother of two sons, the elder being Perry E., who is married and has two children; and Riley E., who is married and had four children, three of which are yet living. Both Mr. and Mrs. Moss are faithful members of the Baptist church and take an active interest in its work, doing all they can for the extension of its influence. In political circles Mr. Moss is also prominent and influential and is identified with the Democratic party. In 1878-9 he served as county auditor of Monroe county and from 1884 until 1887 was the county treasurer, discharging his duties in a most prompt and capable manner. He has also filled township offices and was at one time the candidate of his party for the legislature, but could not overcome the strong Republican majority of his district.
His first presidential vote was cast for General Winfield Scott, the candidate of the Whig party in 1852, and in 1856 he voted for James Buchanan, the Democratic nominee for the presidency, since which time he has never wavered in his allegiance to the Democracy. Both he and his wife possess sterling traits of character, which have gained for them high esteem through the community, and the life record of Mr. Moss proves conclusively that success is not a matter of genius but is the outcome of clear judgment and experience and that it may be won by diligence and persistency of purpose.