History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 319

HISTORY OF TEXAS, 311)~~~~~~~~

the latter of North Carolina. The father located
in Harrison county, Texas, in 1846,
was there married, subsequently moved to
Trinity, and in 1870 came to Williamson
county. He is engaged in farming, and is
also employed at the depot. Mr. and Mrs.
Farley had seven children: W. H.; Mary; J.
H.; Forrest; Walter; Hallyand Arthur. J.
H. Farley died in November, 1886, and the
remainder of the children reside in Williamson
county. Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin have
had five children: Lucy; Huldah; Hugh, decease
at the age of fifteen months; William
and Spencer C.
Our subject affiliates with the Democratic
party, and his wife is a member of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church.
^T\ OBERT J. MOORE-In portraying
the pioneers of Texas and the first
J settlers of Travis county, it is highly
essential that the Moore family occupy
a conspicuous place in the pages of- the history.

For three generations they have figured
prominently in the business interests of Travis
county and of Texas. As is well known,
Texas was formerly a part of Mexico, but
the country was a barren waste inhabited by
Indians and wild animals, and in the early
part of this century but little was known of
it by the Anglo-Saxon race. At that time
Tennessee was the frontier of civilization. The
early settlers of that country were a hardy and
brave race, and among them were the ancestors
of our subject. As in all frontier settleinents
the pioneers had but little occasion
for preserving family history; their time is
consumed in defending their families from

the savages and developing the country for
posterity, and the Moore family is no exception
to the rule.
January 10, 1808, Thomas A. Moore was
born in Tennessee, the third child and oldest
son of Nathaniel and Rebecca (Adamns) Moore.
The father was born March 10, 1780, and
the mother May 12, 1788, were married July
2, 1801, and raised six children. Upon the
best authority we have we find Thomas A.
Moore following the example of his forefathers
and locating in Texas about the year
1821, being among the very first white settlers
of the State. He first located in southern
Texas, on Cana river, where he eluded the
scalping knife of the Indians for about twelve
years, having many narrow escapes and frequently
forced to flee from the dreaded savages.
During his early settlement here the
principal food of the family was dried venison
for bread and fresh venison and other
wild game for meat.
We next find him engaged in assisting
in moving the soldiers to Fort Prairie,
which was many miles north of any civilized
community, and it is supposed that
he drove the first wagon to the Colorado
river, and, being enchanted with this beautiful
country and the richness of the fertile
soil,. he decided to make this his permanent
home and lay the foundation for a home for
his posterity; consequently, early in the '30s,
he permanently located in what is now
Travis county, but here he found the red
man as troublesome as he had been in southern
Texas, and he was constantly on the alert
for the treacherous savage. He took an active
part in all the Indian wars, and was ever
ready to lend a hand in preventing their hostile
depredations. He took part in the historic
Spring creek fight, a notable event of
frontier service, in which the Indians made

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