Off topic… sorta, but…
In the last week, I’ve scored three major pieces on Ebay; at least “major” to me, personally. All three have to do with my Moore family, specifically rooted in my third great grandfather (the same one I mentioned in the blog post the other day) or his sons. The first piece was a pic of his son’s (Cyrus Clifford Moore) Inn, in Hatboro, Pa.
Moore’s Inn, Hatboro, Pa., ca. 1910.
The second was a Victorian era medical advertisement card.
Nice, and attractive, but the connection was on the back…
J.A.C. Hower was also known as Dr. Hower… the son of Jonathan Hower, for whom my second great grandfather (son of Cyrus S. Moore) was named (and, I believe, who raised the children of John Draden Moore (my fourth great grandfather), after his death in January, 1840. J.A.C. Hower attended medical school at the Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore, went South, to Natchez, MS, for about 12 years (and was there during the Civil War), and then came back home… well, close enough… to Martinsburg, West Virginia.
The third item, which I secured just over an hour ago, is a bottle from the C.C. Moore Co. (that same Cliff Moore mentioned above).
I’ve got something interesting to say about some of these items, in detail, in an upcoming post, but for now… how did all three of these items pop-up in the same week, giving me a chance to grab all three? Proper planet alignment, a little “help from beyond the grave”, etc., etc.? I know some people scoff at the thought of such things, but… I don’t. Call it the Appalachia in me, but I’m just not feeling… coincidence. Would have made a pretty good Halloween post, huh? 🙂
Cenantua's Blog 
Pat Hilliard-Moore
January 3, 2013
Well, you know that I have always believed in connections, not just coincendental. You are meant to find and have these items.
Robert Moore
January 3, 2013
Something sure helped, though I don’t know what. Just very cool to have happened and to have all three now.
Jim Schmidt
January 3, 2013
Robert – excellent post! If you have seen the posts on my blog or on Facebook you’ll know that in addition to my interest in the Civil War, I also have a passion for 19th-century proprietary medicines, including bottles and ephemera, of which you have two excellent examples above. More important, I think people might be surprised how interested expert bottle collectors are in the kind of local history and wonderful personal connections you hint at in your post. The two premier bottle collecting magazines – “Bottles & Extras” (published by the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, http://www.fohbc.org/) and “Antique Bottle & Glass Collector” (http://americanglassgallery.com/abgc-homepage/) always have excllent local history articles, and they often have great Civil War era content as well. There are several active groups on Facebook…I will share your post with them…they are going to love it. Well done! Jim Schmidt
Robert Moore
January 3, 2013
Hey, Jim,
Thanks for commenting! This has been quite an interesting ride, just within the last week or so, but there’s more to the story even after this. Keep an eye out, hopefully sometime next week I’ll be writing a post about where this all leads. In short, I had absolutely no idea how a bottle and a beer bottling company from the 1880s/90s in Chambersburg, Pa. would take me to the Prohibition in Atlantic City. I’ve never traced something like this before, but the alcohol distributor profession isn’t too hard to follow, beginning with my third great grandfather, and then to two of his sons.
Jim Schmidt
January 3, 2013
Robert – That sounds GREAT! I can’t wait! Jim
Bummer
January 3, 2013
Congratulations, don’t believe in coincidence. It’s intended to happen. Came across an old trunk several years ago that was full of Civil War era “junk”. Not to this bummer. Diaries, letters, journals and photos. Priceless! I love the old bottles and fired clay pots and jugs from Eastern Tennessee.
Bummer
Richard Williams
January 3, 2013
Love the old bottle!
Robert Moore
January 3, 2013
I was thinking to myself that I’d be surprised if you didn’t say something about the bottle. 🙂
Richard Williams
January 4, 2013
A great find for sure and should display nice. I’ve found a few treasures on ebay myself. “One man’s trash, is another man’s . . . “
Robert Moore
January 4, 2013
If I’m really lucky, I might have a second one soon.