Jesse was the oldest child/son of John S. Moore and his wife, Nancy Edwards. He married Letticia Downing; one of ten children born to William Downing and his wife, Susannah Newman. Jesse and Lettie celebrated their nuptials on January 4, 1827 in Adams County, Ohio. They were married by Seth Van Meter, Justice of the Peace and husband of Letticia's older sister, Elizabeth. Nine children were born to this union; eight sons and one daughter. After Lettie's death in 1858, Jessie married Miss Mary Jane Beal on August 10, 1859 in Iroquois County, Illinois. They had three sons.

US CENSUS: Iroquois County, Illinois; Page #319, individual household #277; Year 1850. Enumerated by D.C. Hill. Jesse Moore 45, occupation farmer, born OH; Letitia 45 born OH; Martin 22 born OH; John 21 born OH; Joel 17 born IL; William 15 born IL; Emily 13 born IL; and Ezra 10 born IL.

HISTORICAL TEXT: "HISTORY OF IROQUOIS COUNTY"; Beckwith, H. W.; H. H. Hill & Co.; Chicago, Illinois: 1880 - Middle port and Belmont Townships pages 7, 50 and 190 - ...They (Jesse, wife and two children) located on 200 acres of land in Belmont township, and here Mr. Moore has been a resident ever since. At that time the country was very wild, and plenty of Indians and wild game abounded. Here, about 1842, the Methodists erected the first church (in Belmont township) on Mr. Moore's place, he being a strong Methodist. Mr. Moore donated the land for the church, and for this act the people permitted Mr. Moore to name the church, which he called Bellemont. He had been reading a book and found this word, and so he named the church. The church was built of hewn logs, and was in size 26 X 36 feet, lap Shingles, chimney in the middle, and two windows on each side. The entrance was on the south side. ..."

GENEALOGIES: Moore Genealogy: Ralph D. and Virginia Moore; Self-Published, Iroquois County, Illinois 1980 Excerpt from daughter of John Henry Franklin Moore, "... Jesse and his first wife (Leticia Dowing), the two oldest sons (Martin Reuter and John Wesley), and four of Jesse's brothers, moved by oxcart from Adams County, Ohio starting late in November 1829. They arrived in Iroquois County, Illinois in January 1830. John Wesley had turned two years old several days prior to this. They were en route for seven weeks. ..."

STATEMENT: written by Eleanor Helen (nee Moore) Zappa Lucas; upon returning to her home in Lincoln, California after attending the 100th Reunion. "The occasion of the first family reunion was the 84th birthday of Jesse Moore. Relatives came from as far as Kansas. It was held in the yard and home of Jesse Moore. Without his knowledge the group had gotten together and bought a new sofa for him. They managed to get it into the living room before he saw it. One hundred years later at the anniversary reunion, relatives visited Belmont and Body (pronounced 'Boady') cemeteries. They were also allowed to go through the house where Jesse Moore lived and the first reunion was held. It was quite a feeling to take a picture of my brother as he stood and looked out the window of the very room where the sofa had sat. The Nazarene Church had bought the old house and were in the process of remodeling and modernizing it (even a bathroom added), and we thought it was very nice of them to let so many of Jesse's ancestors go through it. Jesse Moore was my great grandfather, my grandfather was John Wesley Moore."