John Wesley Moon (January 18, 1836 – April 5, 1898) was a politician from the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. Moon was born in Wayne County, Michigan, near Ypsilanti, and attended the

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretary ...

s. As a youth, he worked on a farm and attended school during the winter. In 1852, he moved to Jackson County and left there in the fall of 1854 to work in lumber camps and saw mills on the Flat River in central Michigan. In the spring of 1856, he settled in

Muskegon County, Michigan Muskegon County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the population was 175,824. The county seat is Muskegon. Muskegon County comprises the Muskegon, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Grand Rapids ...

, and engaged in the manufacture of lumber and in banking. He was a partner in the firm of A.V. Mann & Co., which established a mill at Lakeside (now a part of the city of

Muskegon Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expans ...

). He held the offices of supervisor, township treasurer, and president of the then village of Muskegon. He served in the Michigan Senate in 1885, from the 23rd district, and in 1887, from the 21st district. Also in 1887, he was elected president of the Muskegon Savings Bank. A few years later, in 1891, he became a member of the board of education of Muskegon. In 1892, Moon was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from

Michigan's 9th congressional district Michigan's 9th congressional district is a United States congressional district located in parts of Oakland County and Macomb County in the southeast areas of the State of Michigan. It includes the communities of Ferndale, Royal Oak, Hazel P ...

to the 53rd Congress, defeating incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Harrison H. Wheeler Harrison H. Wheeler (March 22, 1839 – July 28, 1896) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Wheeler was born at Farmers Creek in Lapeer County, Michigan and attended the common schools. He taught school until 1861 and the ...

. Moon served from March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1895, and was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1894. After leaving Congress, John W. Moon resumed his former business activities. He died in Muskegon and is interred there at Evergreen Cemetery.

References

The Political Graveyard
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moon, John Wesley 1836 births 1898 deaths American bank presidents Burials in Michigan People from Wayne County, Michigan People from Jackson County, Michigan People from Muskegon County, Michigan Republican Party Michigan state senators Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople