Douglass Moss, cashier of the Bank of Iola, and junior member of the
mercantile firm of Jackson, Moss & Company, has had a wide range of vision
during an active career, and has acquired from it a spirit of progress which
makes him one of the most enterprising and useful citizens of his adopted
community. For some years he has been busily engaged in breeding high-grade
stock at his various farms situated near Iola, but withal he has found time
to interest himself actively in public matters, and is known as one of the
leading Democrats of his part of the county. Mr. Moss was born January 31,
1874, in Bond county, Illinois, and is a son of A. W. and Elizabeth
(Thompson) Moss, natives of Bond county.
John Moss, the paternal
great-grandfather of Douglass, was a native of North Carolina, from whence
he enlisted in the Colonial army during the Revolutionary war, and served as
a color-bearer under General George Washington. His son, William Moss, also
a native of the Tar Heel state, moved to Illinois during the early
'thirties, settling in Bond county, where he became a well-known and
substantial agriculturist. Among his children was James Moss, a wealthy
citizen of Bond county, Illinois, who died in 1907. A. W. Moss, father of
Douglass, served as a soldier during the Civil war, was for a number of
years engaged in the milling business, and subsequently turned his attention
to farming. He is now living at Lovington, Moultrie county, Illinois, where
he is known as a stanch Democrat and a faithful member of the Baptist
church. His wife, who was connected with the Christian denomination, died in
1881. She was a daughter of James Thompson, who was born in Virginia, where
his father was a wealthy planter and slave owner. James Thompson came to
Illinois at an early day and settled in Bond county. He married a Miss Jett,
and Thomas N., ex-congressman, present circuit judge of this district, and
prominent Democratic politician is a nephew of Mr. Thompson's wife. One of
the children of A. W. and Elizabeth Moss, W. C. Moss, now living at Owaneco,
Christian county, Illinois, was for many years a railroad man, but is now
successfully following farming.
Douglass Moss was educated in the
Orchard City College, at Flora, after leaving which he adopted the
profession of an educator and for the following six years taught school.
After acting as principal at Iola for three years and acting in the same
capacity at Bible Grove for two years he engaged in the mercantile business
in Iola, in 1900, with C. A. Jackson. Mr. Moss has left and reentered the
business four times since that date, and is now a member of the firm of
Jackson, Moss & Company, which is doing a thriving business in and around
Iola. In 1908 he was made cashier of the Bank of Iola, a private institution
capitalized at $10,000. In addition he owns several farms in the vicinity of
Iola, and there he is extensively engaged in the breeding of jennets. Mr.
Moss has always manifested an active interest in Democratic politics, and in
1904 he was candidate for county surveyor. The Republican party in this
county was too strong, and he met with defeat. At present he is county
Democratic committeeman from his township, and is a hard and faithful
worker. Mr. Moss is connected with Masonic Lodge, No. 691, Iola, and also
belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, in both of which he is deservedly
popular. From his childhood he has made his way in the world, even educating
himself, and the success that is his today has come entirely through the
medium of his own efforts. Mr. Moss has numerous friends in the vicinity of
his home, and he and his family are held in the highest respect and esteem
by all who have made their acquaintance.
In 1900 Mr. Moss was
married to Miss Mary E. Vincent, daughter of Alexander Vincent, an early
settler, prosperous farmer and Civil war veteran of Clay county, where he
died. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Moss: Frank and Lee, who
are attending school; and Virginia, the baby. Mrs. Moss is a consistent
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is well known in social
circles of Iola.
Extracted 09 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Southern Illinois, by George W. Smith, published in 1912, volume 3, pages 1507-1508.
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