In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1890) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1846
From The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annals of Wayne County (1889), Chronography of notable events in the history of the Northwest territory and Wayne County (1890)
JOSEPH BERTHELET MOORE was born in Detroit, September 15, 1846, and is the son of J. Wilkie and Margaret (Berthelet) Moore. The first of his paternal ancestors in America, General William Moore, came from London, England, in 1770, settled at Bolton, Massachusetts, and was a brave and distinguished officer in the Revolutionary War. He married Sarah Coolidge. Their son Aaron married Mary Wilkie, of Schenectady, New York, a descendant of Wilkie, the famous artist of Scotland. J. Wilkie Moore, son of Aaron and Mary (Wilkie) Moore and the father of J. B. Moore, was born at Geneva, New York, May 13, 1814. He came to Detroit in 1833, when Michigan was a territory, the city of Detroit then containing but 2,600 inhabitants. After serving as a clerk for several years, he opened a general store on Jefferson Avenue, and a few years later went into the real estate business, and was quite successful. He was in the United States Custom Service for fourteen years, for three years secret agent of the revenue department, and afterwards United States Consul at Windsor. He was married in 1843, to Margaret Berthelet, daughter of Henry Berthelet, a leading merchant of Detroit in its earlier days, a large property owner, and a citizen of wealth and influence. The Berthelets, who were natives of Southern France, were early settlers in Detroit. Mr. Moore still resides here, but for several years has lived a retired life.
Joseph B. Moore was educated in the public schools, and graduated from the High School in 1862. He entered upon a mercantile career by becoming cashier in the retail dry goods store of E. S. Parker, known as the People's Store, afterwards conducted by H. Greening. His next position was as assistant bookkeeper for Allan Shelden & Company. A desire to engage in the banking business caused him to leave this position, and being unable to find a favorable opening in Detroit, in 1866 he went to Milwaukee, and became corresponding clerk, and soon after teller in the First National Bank of that city. Remaining there two years, he returned to Detroit and entered the First National Bank as discount clerk, a position he held for ten years. Meantime, in 1875, Messrs. Jarvis & Hooper had established a manufactory of fertilizers at the foot of Leib Street, and in 1878, Mr. Moore resigned his position in the bank, and purchased Mr. Hooper's interest in the firm. The business at the time was conducted in a comparatively limited way. Upon Mr. Moore's connection with it, the capacity of the works was enlarged, additional capital invested, and the company incorporated with a capital of $80,000. Deming Jarvis was made president, and Mr. Moore secretary and treasurer, lhe demand for their productions grew rapidly, and in 1882 it was found necessary to seek larger quarters. The capital stock was then increased to $300,000, and eighty acres of land on the river Rouge, in Springwells township, were purchased, upon w4iich there was erected an extensive plant, especially adapted for the purpose required. The products of the works consist of various kinds of fertilizers, with all grades of glue and bone black, and in the manufacture of the latter article, they produce a larger quantity than any other factory in the world. Thirty tons, or three car loads of animal matter are ground up every day. These are obtained from all over the country, but of late yeai-s the principal source of supply has been from the prairies of Texas and the far West. The annual value of their products exceeds $1,000,000, and over two hundred pei'sons are employed.
Mr. Moore was indefatigable in the building up of this industry, and the success of the enterprise is largely due to his energy, good judgment, and intelligent effort. He was individually entrusted with almost the entire management of the concern, and the results have been eminently satisfactory. His entire time, up to 1887, was given to the undertaking to the exclusion of contiicting business interests, a fact which, in a measure, explains his success. In 1887 he became cashier of the newly organized Peninsular Savings Bank, and under his excellent management the bank has been remarkably successful, reaching during its first year, a high place among the best of the banking institutions of the city.
He is a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church, and for many years has been President of the Board of Trustees of Mount Elliott Cemetery.
Politically, Mr. Moore has always been an earnest and active Republican, and has been a helpful factor in securing victories for his party in local and State elections. As Chairman of the Detroit and the Wayne County Republican Committees, he has evinced excellent ability as an organizer, and is a skillful and successful worker. He represented the old Ninth Ward in the City Council during 1877-78, and was appointed a member of the Poor Commission in 1880 by Mayor Thompson, and re-appointed for another term in 1884 by Mayor Grummond, and again re-appointed, for a third term, in 1888, by Mayor Pridgeon. By virtue of the latter office, he is one of the County Superintendents of the Poor of Wayne County, to whom is entrusted the care and management of the Poor House and Insane Asylum at Wayne. As a public official he has been painstaking and efficient.
Personally he is an agreeable and pleasant gentleman, social and warm-hearted. He is a member of the Detroit and Grosse Pointe Clubs, also president of the Detroit Catholic Club, and in all that constitutes an upright business man, a public-spirited citizen and a progressive, useful member of the community, is a worthy type of the younger business element of Detroit.
He was married May 21, 1878, to Elizabeth W. O'Hara, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
As printed in The history of Detroit and Michigan; or, The metropolis illustrated; a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annals of Wayne County (1889). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JOSEPH BERTHELET MOORE.
Humanity, as taught by the great Teacher, and which should be practised by all who recognize His right to instruct, is the exercise of a just discrimination in all that we do, connected with our relations to society and our fellows.
We start first with our own family, and do our duty to them; second, we have a succession of employees, we should be their friend, sharing their troubles and commiserating their misfortimes; third, we may have tenants, consequently occupying subordinate or dependent positions, we should try to look at life from their standpoint of view.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
While it would be akin to fulsomeness to claim for the subject of this sketch all that the sentiment of the foregoing expresses, yet having lived in Detroit since birth, he must have exhibited and been mindful of many of the precepts taught by it, for otherwise, he could not have inspired the confidence among business men, and the esteem and respect of all who know him, which has enabled him to attain the enviable position he at present holds in his native city.
Joseph Berthelet Moore, was born in the city of Detroit, September 15, 1846. He is the only son of the Hon. J. Wilkie Moore and Margaret Berthelet Moore, a sketch of whose life will be found elsewhere in this volume. He is descended on the paternal side from Scotch and English ancestry, and on the material, from French.
Mr. Moore has enjoyed and improved the advantages afforded by the schools of Detroit in acquiring a good business education, and is a graduate of the High School, and of Detroit Commercial College.
Soon after graduating from the latter, he accepted a situation in the First National Bank of Milwaukee. After remaining there two years, he returned to Detroit, and was appointed discount clerk in the First National Bank of Detroit, resigning this position in 1880, to accept that of Secretary and Treasurer of the Michigan Carbon Works. He withdrew from this position in 1887 (though still a director and one of the largest stockholders) to take that of Cashier of the Peninsular Savings Bank, which position he holds at present. He is also President and one of the original corporators of the Commercial Electric Company, Director and Treasurer of the Detroit Electric Light and Power Company, and occupies the same relation in the Detroit Sanitary Works, is Treasurer and Director of the Phoenix Accident and Aid Association, is President of the Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association, and of the Detroit Catholic Club.
He has been all his life a member of the Republican party, and is recognized not only in Detroit but throughout the State, as one of the most active advisers and promoters of party success.
For a number of years he has filled the position as Chairman of both the County and City Republican Committee. Among the public positions held by Mr. Moore is that of Alderman. He has been a member of the City Poor Commission since 1882, and is now holding his third appointment as such, and also one of the Board of County Superintendents of the Poor, having charge of the Coimty Poor House and Insane Asylum.
Such are some of the results indicating the manner of his life thus far, which could not have been reached except by the guidance and acceptance of the precepts given by the great Teacher of humanity.
In 1878, Mr. Moore married Miss Elizabeth W. O'Hara, of Cincinnati, the granddaughter of the venerable Col. James W. Knaggs, whose sketch will be found in this volume.
As printed in Chronography of notable events in the history of the Northwest territory and Wayne County (1890). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Allan Shelden (b. 1832) J. Wilkie Moore (b. 1814) James W. Knaggs
Their biographies name Joseph B. Moore: Descomptes Labadie
The printed record stops around 1889. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.