Jacob Moore, the pioneer of the family of Moores in the county, was a native of Kentucky. His wife, Amanda Rice, was also born in Kentucky. They came to Douglas county in the spring of 1834. In the same year he purchased from Sigler Lester forty acres of land, and afterward added about two thousand more. He died in 1860 and his wife in 1863. They had ten children; the eldest of whom, William T. Moore, was born in Park county, Indiana, September, 1830.

HISTORY OF DOUGLAS COUNTY, IL BOURBON TOWNSHIP.
F.A. BATTEY & CO., PUBLISHERS, 1884.
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES BY H.C. NILES
REPRODUCED FROM THE ORIGINALS AND CONTRIBUTED TO ILLINOIS TRAILS
BY LARRY M. BURMEISTER, ©MAY, 2004 Page 267

BOURBON TOWNSHIP.

Jacob Moore, Sr., entered his first land in Section 1, Township 14, Range 7, in April, 1835. He died in July, 1860, leaving a large estate and numerous descendants. He was a noted hunter of great endurance, and eventually a large cattle dealer.

Thomas Fetters' "Family History of the Louthan family"
"The Hermitage" had been built as a coach stop and inn on the Springfield Road which ran from Terre Haute, Indiana and Springfield, Illinois. It later became a post office known locally as "The Hermitage" and the last proprietors were John and Sarah Louthan. Jacob Moore had been the first to settle in the area in 1833 and he built a cabin two miles west of the future site of Arcola, Illinois. His son, William T. Moore, met John and Margaret's daughter, Margaret Louthan, at The Hermitage and married her in 1856. They lived a half-mile north of Springfield Road at Woodland Home which still stands in 1993.

Source: Darla Haas
Remarks by Cousin Eva Scott Hood at age 94
(Elizabeth's daughter)

The morning she was born Jacob Moore got lumber to build the big house where Lenore Munson was born and still lives there. West of Arcola, ILL. Her brothers (Eve's) was hunting rabbits and got into trouble because they moved the lumber and messed it up and had to go straighten it all out again. This making the house in question 94 yrs. old.

Aunt Betsey -- Elizabeth Moore, back when she was a girl in the early 1800's, was to be married, she had her wedding dress all made with cut out embroidery and on the day her intended came with his worldly goods and for some reason he went out and while he was out she looked in his bag and there was only a few dirty ragged clothes and a bottle of liquor and when he came back in she ask him if that was all he owned and he said Yes and she told him to be on his way because she didn't want any part of him and his dirty underwear and his whiskey so he left and she died an old maid at the age of 88 years.

In the late 1800's five went west with a mule and horse in a covered wagon. They were Albert Pierce, Will Scott, Ferd Moore, Benton Watson and a friend Dal Felphs. They landed in Grand Island, Neb. Albert stayed out there with Ina Berry but the other men came back home.

Hiram Scott and Frank Pierce were from Columbus, they were sheep men, they herded sheep out here from there we have been told. Frank Pierce married Susan Moore and Hiram Scott married Elizabeth Moore it was a double wedding in 1861. The girls were given 220 acres.

Cal Welch owned the land where the Welch School House stood until in late 1960's when it was removed. At least three generations of the descendants of the Moore and Louthans and Jones's went to this school. A little country school with one room.

Jacob Moore would build a log cabin on his land, live in it for a time and them move on to another part of his land and build another. He had log houses dotted all over his land and then they were replaced by larger homes and more modern than the log cabins. Some of the still stand on the land.

The family Bible - containing names, dates, locations, scans and other information can be found on the website below:
https://www.biblerecords.com/moore1.html