Charles A. Moon, Orphaned Lawyer
The photograph above shows the facing of the sidewalk step at 819 West Martin L. King Blvd. Charles A. Moon purchased the house about 1919 and later paved the sidewalk. He was proud of his home and this last vestige reminds us of this man's life in Muskogee.
Born in Cartersville, Georgia about 1883, Charles A. Moon was the son of Charles A. and Hattie (Goodwin) Moon. His parents, who married in late 1880, died when he was still an infant. A multitude of kin thereafter took turns in raising him. His upbringing left him with a strong sense of fairness and justice.
Fortunately, his mother's younger sister took him as a "pupil" because she wanted to become a schoolteacher. Her efforts to "teach" Charles resulting in him attending the University of Georgia Law School.
He arrived in Muskogee in 1906 after graduating with his law degree, but began working as an errand boy for Benjamin Martin's law firm. Before long, however, he was practicing law. Eventually, he served as City Attorney under four different mayors.
Always a leader, Charles was active in unraveling the mayoral form of government when Muskogee's city council ceased functioning harmoniously. He was among those who advocated the manager form of government. A city election in 1919 changed Muskogee's government to its present form.
Charles Moon won his first election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1926. Then he won re-election in 1928. During this term, legislators tried to impeach the governor. After a failed attempt in 1928, Oklahoma state legislators impeached Governor Henry Simpson Johnston the next year. Moon acted as the leading prosecutor among the legislators who supported Gov. Johnston's impeachment.
Same year, Moon became involved in impeaching Gov. Huey P. Long of Louisiana. Moon advised those seeking to oust Gov. Long because of his experience in impeaching Gov. Johnston. However, he withdrew his efforts before Gov. Long beat back his opponents.
Representative Moon ran against Muskogee's State Senator W. M. Gulager. Moon won the election in November of 1930. After replacing W. M. Gulager as State Senator, Moon immediately wanted to replace many of Gulager's appointees. Following his instincts for fairness, Moon said one of Gulager's appointees spent the previous eight months of the year in Texas instead of on the job in Oklahoma.
Senator Moon served a second tern as state senator. During this term he helped to end the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished the consumption of alcohol. At one point, those seeking to reintroduce legislation allowing alcoholic sales in the state came up short of the votes. Those in favor flew Moon from Muskogee to Oklahoma City to vote in the Senate. This vote led to the reintroduction of legal consumption of liquor.
Charles Moon spent the remainder of his life in Muskogee. Home life and his law practice took up much of his time. Nonetheless, he found time to perform civic work, too. For example, he served as attorney of the Oklahoma Free State Fair for many years. He finally retired from this work in 1952. He was nearly seventy years old.
When you are driving across the intersection of Ninth Street and Martin L. King Blvd, look for "Chas. A. Moon" on sidewalk step. When you spot the name, tip your hat to a man who believed in fairness and justice in Muskogee.
Born in Cartersville, Georgia about 1883, Charles A. Moon was the son of Charles A. and Hattie (Goodwin) Moon. His parents, who married in late 1880, died when he was still an infant. A multitude of kin thereafter took turns in raising him. His upbringing left him with a strong sense of fairness and justice.
Fortunately, his mother's younger sister took him as a "pupil" because she wanted to become a schoolteacher. Her efforts to "teach" Charles resulting in him attending the University of Georgia Law School.
He arrived in Muskogee in 1906 after graduating with his law degree, but began working as an errand boy for Benjamin Martin's law firm. Before long, however, he was practicing law. Eventually, he served as City Attorney under four different mayors.
Always a leader, Charles was active in unraveling the mayoral form of government when Muskogee's city council ceased functioning harmoniously. He was among those who advocated the manager form of government. A city election in 1919 changed Muskogee's government to its present form.
Charles Moon won his first election to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1926. Then he won re-election in 1928. During this term, legislators tried to impeach the governor. After a failed attempt in 1928, Oklahoma state legislators impeached Governor Henry Simpson Johnston the next year. Moon acted as the leading prosecutor among the legislators who supported Gov. Johnston's impeachment.
Same year, Moon became involved in impeaching Gov. Huey P. Long of Louisiana. Moon advised those seeking to oust Gov. Long because of his experience in impeaching Gov. Johnston. However, he withdrew his efforts before Gov. Long beat back his opponents.
Representative Moon ran against Muskogee's State Senator W. M. Gulager. Moon won the election in November of 1930. After replacing W. M. Gulager as State Senator, Moon immediately wanted to replace many of Gulager's appointees. Following his instincts for fairness, Moon said one of Gulager's appointees spent the previous eight months of the year in Texas instead of on the job in Oklahoma.
Senator Moon served a second tern as state senator. During this term he helped to end the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished the consumption of alcohol. At one point, those seeking to reintroduce legislation allowing alcoholic sales in the state came up short of the votes. Those in favor flew Moon from Muskogee to Oklahoma City to vote in the Senate. This vote led to the reintroduction of legal consumption of liquor.
Charles Moon spent the remainder of his life in Muskogee. Home life and his law practice took up much of his time. Nonetheless, he found time to perform civic work, too. For example, he served as attorney of the Oklahoma Free State Fair for many years. He finally retired from this work in 1952. He was nearly seventy years old.
When you are driving across the intersection of Ninth Street and Martin L. King Blvd, look for "Chas. A. Moon" on sidewalk step. When you spot the name, tip your hat to a man who believed in fairness and justice in Muskogee.
Labels: Benjamin Martin, Charles A. Moon, Gov. Henry S. Johnston, Gov. Huey P. Long, Hattie Goodwin Moon, W. M. Gulager
posted by Wally Waits at
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