Sonoma-Yuba-Plumas County CA Archives Biographies.....Armstrong, Porter Moore 1831 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 3, 2006, 10:20 pm Author: Alley, Bowen & Co. (1880) Armstrong, Porter Moore (of Geyserville). Born November 1, 1831, in the town of Ripley, Brown county, Ohio. Mr. Moore's grandfather was a native of Virginia, but removed from that State and settled in Ohio in the year 1800, at which time his father was three years old. He resided with his parents in Ripley until the age of ten years, when the family removed to St. Louis, Missouri, where for the next two years young Moore was sent to school. In the year 1843 his father, who had been for many years running steamers on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, disposed of his boats and removed to Peoria, Illinois, and engaged very extensively in merchandising, milling, pork packing, etc. At the age of fourteen young Moore was placed in his father's store as junior clerk, where he learned the art of measuring molasses, weighing sugar, and such other duties as usually fall to the lot of juniors. The boy was an apt scholar, and rapidly mastered the business, so that it was not long before he had full charge of it. Mr. Moore's father was a man of great energy and business capacity, and at this time was possessed of a large property and an extensive and lucrative business; but unfortunately a spirit of speculation came over him, which in the end caused him to go to the wall financially. This unexpected catastrophe made it necessary for young Moore to strike out for himself, which he did by starting for California by way of the Isthmus, arriving here in November, 1851—just twenty years of age. From 1851 to 1857 he resided in Marysville, Yuba county. Fortunately he had acquired a good business education, and was not long in finding employment as book-keeper in a large wholesale store at a good salary. In the Summer of 1857, having concluded to enter into business on his own account, he removed to Quincy, the county seat of Plumas county, and opened a general merchandise store. Here he resided for the next sixteen years, carrying on a large and lucrative mercantile business. During this time he served two years as Associate Justice of the Court of Sessions and six years as County Judge, filling the position to the entire satisfaction of the citizens of Plumas county. In 1858 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Mastin, daughter of Colonel Reuben Mastin of Mississippi. His choice of a partner for life proved judicious, in consequence of which his married life has been happy and pleasant. Six children have been born to them, five of whom are living. In 1873, in consequence of failing health and a desire to afford his children better educational facilities, Mr. Moore removed to Oakland, Alameda county. For the first year after settling there he was not engaged in any business; but a life of inactivity not proving congenial to him, he again embarked in mercantile pursuits, and for three years carried on business at the corner of Broadway and Twelfth streets. In June, 1873, he disposed of his business in Oakland, and removed to Geyserville, where he is at the present time engaged in keeping a general merchandise store and acting as Postmaster. Mr. Moore is a man who attends strictly to his legitimate business, strives to do everything he undertakes well, is genial in disposition, always glad to see his friends, possesses the confidence of the community in which he resides, of unsullied business reputation, and in all the walks of life an exemplary citizen. Additional Comments: Washington Township Extracted from: HISTORY —OF- SONOMA COUNTY, -INCLUDING ITS— Geology, Topooraphy, Mountains, Valleys and Streams; —TOGETHER WITH— A Full and Particular Record of the Spanish Grants; Its Early History and Settlement, Compiled from the Most Authentic Sources; the Names of Original Spanish and American Pioneers; a full Political History, Comprising the Tabular Statements of Elections and Office-holders since the Formation of the County; Separate Histories of each Township, Showing the Advancement of Grape and Grain Growing Interests, and Pisciculture; ALSO, INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE; THE RAISING OF THE BEAR FLAG; AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN; —AND OF ITS— Cities, Towns, Churches, Schools, Secret Societies, Etc., Etc. ILLUSTRATED. SAN FRANCISCO: ALLEY, BOWEN & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1880. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sonoma/bios/armstron339gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.9 Kb