My Genealogy Hound

L. R. MORE, a native of Delaware county, N. Y., was born in 1839, and is the son of Edward H. and Polly Ann (Moffatt) More, prominent and thrifty people of their locality and both active and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics, Edward H. More was an enthusiastic supporter of the republican platform. He was nominated, in 1867, for representative of Delaware county, but died the day following the convention. Mr. and Mrs. More were parents of six children, viz. — Francis, who died when two years old; Albert, who was born in 1837, in Delaware county, N. Y., and served seven months in the war of the Rebellion, but was discharged for rheumatism contracted before service. He, after several years’ residence in New York, Virginia and New Jersey, moved to Nebraska, settling in Odessa township, Buffalo county. In 1866, he was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Brewster, a native of New York, who died in 1870. Mr. More next married Miss Martha Reed, a native of Illinois in, 1886. L. R. More, our subject, was the third in order of birth, and of the remaining three children, Mary is deceased; Samuel I., who served in the war, first as as private in the Fourth New York heavy artillery, and afterwards as lieutenant and acting captain of a mortar battery before Petersburg, is now residing near Moresville, N. Y., and George, the youngest, is still living on the old homestead.

The subject’s paternal grandfather, Alexander More, came from the highlands of Scotland and settled in Hobart, Delaware county, N. Y., just before the Cherry Valley massacre, instigated by Brandt. Being warned by friendly Indians, he took what household effects he could on one horse, his wife taking her two children in baskets, one on each side, on another horse. Thus they journeyed to Catskill, on the Hudson river. On the journey, one of the children, Alexander More, our subject’s grandfather, fell out of the basket into a miry place and nearly drowned. He afterwards settled near where Moresville now stands. The paternal great-grandfather’s family consisted of five boys — Alexander, James, John T., David and Edward. The subject’s grandfather, Alexander More, married Nancy Harlow, of Roxbury, Delaware county, N. Y., by whom he had twelve children, viz. — John H., Thomas, Daniel, Joseph H., Edward H. (the subject’s father), Robert H., James, William W., Betsey, Abbie, Gitty and Mary (the mother of Jay Gould, the railroad king). W. W. is the youngest and only survivor of the family.

L. R. More, the subject of this sketch, was born September 22, 1839, in Roxbury, Delaware county, N. Y. He moved to Chicago in the fall of 1855, thence to Newaygo, Mich., where he was employed in a saw-mill. He there contracted fever and ague, which caused him to return to the old homestead. He later returned to Chicago, where for a time he acted as salesman for a business firm, after which he entered into partnership with Duncan Sinclair, in the lumber and planing-mill business, Mr. More acting as traveling salesman, and Sinclair conducting the business at home. By fair dealing and close attention to business, in about three years he accumulated the sum of $25,000. His health failing, he sold out to Sinclair and came West to Kearney Junction, Nebr., in 1871. He established the first lumber yard and built the first brick store, the upper story being the only opera house in town. He also established the first bank, in 1872, known as More’s bank. He owned the first hotel, known as the Grand Central, also was partner of John Seaman, one of the first wheat buyers in Kearney. He also speculated in broom corn. He bought and enlarged the first grist-mill on the present site of the Kearney Mill and Elevator Co.’s mill, and was the sole agent of the celebrated Rock Spring coal from 1876 to 1885. Mr. More also owned a considerable amount of real estate, and was always one of the first to assist in any enterprise that pertained to the welfare of Kearney. In 1873, Mr. More was appointed Captain of the “Kearney Guards” by Governor Furnas. Under his leadership the cowboys’ “reign of terror” came to an end, they losing two of their number in a running battle. In the year 1884, he sold out what was known as More’s bank, now the Kearney National, and the brick store adjacent for $22,000, he taking $13,000 stock in the bank, and also becoming its first president. In 1885, on account of failing health, Mr. More started for Florida, stopping at Hot Springs, Ark., where, against the advice of his physicians, he took a sulphur bath, from which he contracted a severe cold that settled on his lungs and soon resulted in his death. He was buried beside his father, in Moresville, Delaware county, N. Y.

L. R. More came to Kearney when it contained but three buildings, and by aiding the then infant town and the homesteaders in securing the passage of the herd law, in more senses than one may he be called the patriarch of Kearney.

Mr. More was a very popular man and had endeared himself to many by his kindness and generosity. In politics he was a republican, and at one time received the nomination for state senator, but was defeated by A. H. Connor, nominee of a coalition of women’s rights, anti-monopolists, democrats and others.