"Col. T. Moore Jackson was long and prominently identified with important industrial and business enterprises in his native state and city, was a representative of a family whose name has had much of prestige in the history of Virginia, especially that part of the Old Dominion that now constitutes West Virginia, and he was one of the influential and honored citizens of Clarksburg, Harrison County, at the time of his death, February 3, 1912.
Thomas Moore Jackson was born at Clarksburg, on the 22d of June, 1852, and was a son of James Madison and Caroline Virginia (Moore) Jackson, his paternal grandparents having been John G. and Mary (Meigs) Jackson. The progenitor of the Jackson family in America was John Jackson, who is supposed to have been born in the North of Ireland, of Scotch lineage, and who came from London, England, to America in 1748. In Maryland John Jackson wedded Elizabeth Cummings, and subsequently they became pioneer settlers at Buckhannon, in what is now Upshur County, West Virginia. John Jackson was a resident of Clarksburg, Harrison County, at the time of his death, in 1801. Two of his sons, George and Edward, were patriot soldiers in the War of the Revolution, in which he also gave loyal service as a soldier of the Continental Line. The son George rose to the rank of colonel, later served as a representative of Virginia in the United States Congress, and finally he established his residence at Zanesville, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life. His son Edward was the grandfather of Gen. Thomas J. ("Stonewall") Jackson, the distinguished Confederate officer of the Civil war, Clarksburg, West Virginia, taking pride in recording General Jackson's name on the roster of its native sons. Of the other sons of John Jackson it may be noted that Samuel removed to Indiana, his death having occurred at Terre haute, that state, and that there were also two other sons, John, Jr., and Henry, besides three daughters. The loved mother attained to the remarkable age of 105 years and was a resident of Clarksburg at the time of her death.
John G. Jackson, grandfather of the subject of this memoir, was a son of Col. George Jackson, mentioned above. Colonel Jackson settled at Clarksburg in the early days as a member of the United States Congress he was succeeded by his son John G., who was one of the eminent lawyers in the western part of Virginia. After his congressional career John G. Jackson became the first Federal judge for the Western District of Virginia, and of this office he continued the incumbent until his death in 1825, while still a young man. Judge John G. Jackson was twice married, first to Mary Payne, a sister of Dollie Madison, the wife of President James Madison, and the Jackson-Payne marriage was the first to be solemnized in the White House at Washington. For his second wife Judge Jackson wedded Mary Meigs, a daughter of Return Jonathon Meigs, one of the first governors of Ohio.
James Madison Jackson was born at Clarksburg, January 15, 1781, and his wife likewise was a native of this place, she having been a daughter of Thomas P. Moore, who was the builder of the first fine brick residence on West Pike street in this city, this beautiful old homestead later becoming the property of the son T. Moore Jackson, to whom this memoir is dedicated, and being now the home of the latter's widow.
T. Moore Jackson was reared at Clarksburg and his higher education was acquired in Bethany College and at Washington and Lee University. From the latter institution he received the degree of Civil Engineer, in 1873, when twenty-one years of age. For several years thereafter Mr. Jackson followed his profession, exclusively, as civil engineer in railroad construction. From 1874 to 1875 he was chief engineer for the Middle Island Railroad. He was identified with other railroads, and in later years built what was known as the Short Line Railroad, he having been president of the company until the line was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company. The constructive ability and loyal citizenship of Colonel Jackson were exemplified in the effective service which he gave in the development and upbuilding of his native city, in which he ever took great pride and deep interest. In 1888 the regents of the University of West Virginia called Mr. Jackson to the chair of civil and mining engineering in that institution, and as the incumbent if this position for a period of about three years he did much to bring his department up to a high standard of efficiency, his resignation having occurred in 1891. After his graduation in Washington and Lee University tat institution eventually conferred upon him the supplemental degrees of Mining Engineer and Doctor of Science. He made a high record in his profession and became an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, as well as a fellow of the Geographical Society of America. The oil industry has been one of the greatest of the productive resources of West Virginia, and in the same Mr. Jackson was a pioneer. He and Professor I.C. White, of the University of West Virginia, were associated in the developing of oil wells at Mannington, Marion County. Mr. Jackson was interested also in coal production, and had large holdings in connection with important coal-mining enterprises in the West Virginia fields. He was influential in securing to Clarksburg many of its industrial plants, including the tin-plate manufacturing enterprise. He was one of the foremost in promoting the civic and material advancement of his native city, and his loyal and earnest character, as combined with his ability and gracious personality, gained to him unqualified popular esteem. For several years Colonel Jackson was president of the Traders Bank of Clarksburg, and his versatility was shown in his successful work in connection with the many and varied enterprises in which he became interested. He has a sane and kindly outlook, was tolerant in judgment, and was always ready to aid those in suffering or distress. In his death Clarksburg lost one of its best and most honored citizens.
In the year 1884 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Jackson and Miss Emma Lewis, who with their only daughter, Miss Florence, resides in the fine old homestead at Clarksburg. Mrs. Jackson likewise was born at Clarksburg, and she is a daughter of the late Judge Charles S. [Swearinger] Lewis, who had been a member of the Virginia Legislature and also of the United States Congress prior to the Civil war. Later Judge Lewis was a member of the West Virginia Legislature, besides which he served as state superintendent of education and as adjutant general of West Virginia. He was a lawyer of eminent ability, as was also his father, Charles Lewis, who was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and who came to Clarksburg from Philadelphia, that state. At the time of his death, in 1870, Judge Charles S. Lewis was serving on the bench of the Circuit Court."