Springfield-Greene
County LibraryEarly and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens
H. M. MOOMAW. Among the substantial farmers living in Brookline township is H. M. Moomaw, a man who has an interesting life record. He originally came from the Old Dominion, his people on both sides of the house having been among the residents of that grand old state in the early days, but little of our subject's life has been spent there, he having been lured across the continent when a boy to the far West, where he sought that elusive yellow metal--gold--that has both made and ruined its thousands, and the last forty-five years of his life have been devoted to general agricultural pursuits in Greene county, Missouri, where he started in a modest way and eventually has become one of the leading farmers of this locality.
Mr. Moornaw was born in Virginia, December 13, 1841. He is a son of Christian and Frances (Noffsinger) Moomaw, both natives of Virginia but of German descent. They grew to maturity in their native state and were married there, and established their home on a farm and lived there until their son, H. M., was six years of age, when they removed to Northern Indiana, where the family resided about seventeen years on a farm, and there our subject grew to manhood and received his education in the public schools of his district. In 1864 our subject left his parental home in the Hoosier state and made the long, hazardous overland journey across the plains to Virginia City, Montana, where he remained six months, then went on to Portland, Oregon, remaining there about seven months, and then went to Idaho, where he spent about four years, during which time he did considerable prospecting for gold, then went back to Portland, Oregon, and from there to San Francisco. After remaining in California awhile he took a ship on the Pacific ocean for the Isthmus of Panama. After crossing the isthmus he took ship for New York City, and from there went to South Bend, Indiana. Remaining at home about six months, he came in 1869, to Greene county, Missouri, and located permanently, after his extensive wanderings, during which he gained a vast knowledge of the world. He located on a farm about seven miles northwest of Springfield, purchasing one hundred and twenty acres of railroad land on which he lived about four years, then sold out and moved to Brookline, this county, and in 1881 bought a fine farm of two hundred and twenty acres, all tillable but a few acres, which embrace a small oak grove. He made many important improvements here with advancing years, and carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, rotating his crops scientifically and becoming known as one of the most progressive farmers of his township. In November, 1913, his four thousand dollar home was destroyed by fire.
Missouri, and here the parents spent the rest of their lives on a farm, dying several years ago, and here their daughter, Mary, grew to womanhood and attended the public schools. Mrs. Moomaw died on April 28, 1914.
To Mr. and Mrs. Moomaw eight children were born, all of whom are living at this writing, namely: William, Lottie, Arthur, Dot, Effie, Homer, Curtis and Earle.
Politically, Mr. Moomaw is a Democrat, but he has never been active in the affairs of his party, devoting his attention to his farm and his home.
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