Lon Moore was born in Caldwell County, Texas in 1844. His father, Daniel Boone Moore, was also an Indian fighter and a cousin of frontiersman Daniel Boone, and his mother was related to the family of Jim Bowie. In 1852, Moore's family settled on Hondo Creek west of Biry. At age 12, he was involved in his first Indian fight. Over a span of 25 years, he took part in 50 Indian scouts and 7 battles, often in a group led by Texas Ranger and Indian fighter Bigfoot Wallace. West of Biry, about 250 yards downstream from the Highway 173 crossing of Hondo Creek, the old Lon Moore crossing was a well-known landmark in those early times.