Alfred Moore, Mattoon's First permanent Settler

The remains of the first log home before in was remodeled. 

The first permanent settler of the area of old Mattoon was the Alfred Moore family, who built a large, L-shaped 1 ½ story, hewn-log dwelling, on the west side of the Flynn's Ferry Road on the crest of the first small ridge or hill that marked the southern limit of the Mattoon flats or "skillet," about one mile south of the present highway junction.

 

Alfred Moore was commissioned Captain and Drillmaster of the 24th Regiment of Kentucky Militia in 1819. Captain Moore turned his large rolling field, directly in front of his home across the Flynn's Ferry Road, which was called Calvert Field, into a muster and drill field of the 24th Livingston County Regiment of state militia. Calvert Field was, from 1820 until 1842, one of the two foremost Militia muster places in west Kentucky. 

 

Part of the Alfred Moore's home is still there today. Jim Fornear purchased this property and restored the cabin. In 2006, his daughter, Becky Fornear, owned the property and had more rooms built onto the cabin and has changed the appearance of the old log home.

 

Calvert Field, which is directly across the road from the home's front yard, when it is in pasture, as it usually is now, must look very similar to it's appearance a century and a half ago. As the field's original size and shape have changed but little, if at all, over the years, it therefore takes only a little imagination to see row after row of men in predominately brown and buff homespun semblance of uniforms, strutting jauntily in their groups, and their wide-brim slouch hats giving them a certain sense of military bearing.

 

Alfred Moore’s son, Robertus Love "Bart" Moore, took advantage of the much used Flynn’s Ferry road and built a general store at the Mattoon cross roads. Moore’s store handled dry goods and hardware as well as the usual stock of food stuffs, and farm implement that was much in demand. 

 

Alfred Moore was born Feb. 19, 1790 and died Feb. 17, 1870 and is buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery.  His wife, Jane Love Moore, is also buried there.

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