Jeff Moore (pioneer) facts for kids

Jeff Moore (March 22, 1780 – September 22, 1835) was an American pioneer and founder of the town of Russell, Ky. While his pioneering was relatively late in the settlement of the Ohio River Valley area, his life exploits have made him a particularly memorable character in the history of the region.

Youth and early life

Aside from his birthdate of March 22, 1780, little else is known about his birth and early life. It is postulated that grew up somewhere in the central Pennsylvania farm lands. Known to have been a lifelong illiterate, Moore claimed to have heard "wild tales" about the lands to the west. He bought a Kentucky Long Rifle and left for what he called his "adventures" sometime in the late 1790s.

Founding of Russell

In early 1823, while traveling through the area that is now Russell, Moore decided, upon seeing the area's unique hilly features, that a town built here could be easily fortified and defended against what was his near constant and lifelong fear: "Injun Attack." Over the next few months, Moore built a large cabin on the highest hill in the area and declared this to be the center of his new town which he subsequently christened Russell. This name was to honor a man he once mistakenly killed in a dispute over "Shine". After these preparations, Moore returned East and gathered what family he could find to return with him and convinced all others possible to join through what was referred to later as a series of "lies, subterfuge and just plain untruths" about his new community.

Moore eventually returned to his new community in late Spring of 1824 with a group of nearly seventy settlers who, with their hard work, built Russell into the thriving community it is today. Moore remained in Russell for the rest of his life where he became a valued member and leader of the town he founded.

Death

Moore died September 22, 1835 from a severe head injury he received September 17 in a fight over a woman.