Simon Moon and the Early Landscape of Westfield
Simon Moon arrived in central Indiana during a period of rapid settlement, when communities were still being defined by the people willing to clear land, organize governance and commit to shared values. His work as a farmer, civic participant and member of the Society of Friends placed him among the key figures involved in Westfield’s earliest days.
Early Life and Family
Simon Moon was born April 19, 1784, in Chatham County, North Carolina, to John and Rachel Moon. He married Hannah Stout on Dec. 10, 1807, at the Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in North Carolina, grounding his adult life in the Quaker faith that would guide his family’s movements and community involvement.
Before coming to Indiana, Moon and his family lived in Guilford County, North Carolina. On Nov. 20, 1820, they moved west to an area near Richmond, Indiana, joining a broader migration of Quaker families seeking new land and communities aligned with their beliefs.
Settlement in Indiana
After time spent near Plainfield in Hendricks County, Simon Moon and his family relocated again, eventually settling near Mooresville. On Sept. 29, 1832, Moon moved to Section 25 in Hamilton County, where he acquired 160 acres on the southwest corner of the section.
Moon, along with his sons William, Riley and Simon Jr., cleared the land and established a working farm. The family built what is recognized as the first log cabin in Washington Township, marking an early step in permanent settlement in the area.
Founding of Westfield
Simon Moon played a direct role in the creation of Westfield. On May 6, 1834, he helped lay out the original 48-lot village alongside Ambrose Osborne and Asa Bales. This act formally established the town’s footprint and reflected the cooperative efforts of early settlers to organize a shared community.
Moon also served as an inspector for Washington Township’s first election in 1833, contributing to the area’s early civic structure. In 1835, he donated a portion of his land to the Society of Friends, which was used to establish a cemetery that same year. The Westfield Friends Cemetery remains one of the town’s oldest historical sites.
Later Years and Family Legacy
Simon Moon died Nov. 8, 1835, and was buried at the Westfield Friends Cemetery. He was 51 years old. Though his life in Hamilton County was brief, his impact endured through both the town he helped found and the family he left behind.
His son, Riley Moon, carried forward the family’s Quaker values in the decades that followed. Beginning in 1838, Riley Moon lived north of Westfield, where his home served as an Underground Railroad station for enslaved freedom seekers prior to the Civil War. That legacy of quiet resistance and moral conviction traces directly back to the foundations Simon Moon helped establish.
Sources
City of Westfield research notes. Simon Moon Sr. (1784–1835).
Monroe County Public Library Indiana Room. “A Tale of Two Simons.”
https://mplindianaroom.blogspot.com/2022/09/a-tale-of-two-simons.html
Moon, Richard L. A Book About Two Simon Moons. 2019.
https://mooresvillelib.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Richard-L-Moon-Book-About-Two-Simon-Moons-2019.pdf
Current. “Many Moons Ago: Simon Moon Descendent Asks for Honorary Plaque at Park.”
https://youarecurrent.com/2017/12/26/many-moons-ago-simon-moon-descendent-asks-for-honorary-plaque-at-park/
FamilySearch. Simon Moon (1784–1835).
https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LHGW-YHK/simon-moon-1784-1835
The Reporter. “Westfield Washington Historical Society, Main Street Productions Revive Voices From the Past.”
https://readthereporter.com/westfield-washington-historical-society-main-street-productions-revive-voices-from-the-past/