The first settler in Joshua township was Joshua Moore, who immigrated to Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1819, and to Fulton county in 1824. Mr. Moore settled on the place well known as the Moore farm, west of Canton five miles. Mr. Moore was accompanied by his son-in-law, John Walters, who was killed at Stillman's defeat in 1832. Mr. Moore was a Methodist, and at his house were held many of the earliest Methodist meetings. Here, to such pioneers as David W. Barnes, the Sergeants, the Buffums, John Hannan and his family, old Father Fraker, John Owens, Jacob Ellis, and a few others, Rev. Randall, Smith L. Robinson (the one-eyed preacher) and Peter Cartwright would preach sermons full of primitive fire and religious zeal. At his house were held the class-meetings and love-feasts, and here were held the merry-makings wherein those present had rarer sport than is known to the silk and velvet gentry of the present fast age.

The story of Mr. Moore's first visit to the county is related by Mr. Henry Andrews, of Canton. It will be remembered, as spoken of in the first chapter, that Capt. David W. Barnes was the first settler in the northern part of Fulton county. He erected his cabin about two miles and a half north of Canton. It was customary and expected in those early days for men who were "prospecting" through the country to put up at the cabins of the settlers, where they were treated with the greatest hospitality and shown all over the country and the best quarter sections pointed out to them. This was all done without remuneration. One day in August, 1823, two men stopped at Barnes' cabin. These were Joshua Moore and Levi Ellis. Barnes invited them in the most cordial manner to make his house their headquarters while in the neighborhood, and the invitation was cheerfully accepted. Mrs. Barnes announced to her husband that the meat was out that evening, and that she did not know what she was going to do for something to eat. As meat and corn-bread or hominy was about the extent of the pioneer bill of fare at that period, this announcement was received with some consternation, Barnes had no stock to kill, and had neglected hunting, from the pressure of his fall work. George Matthews was at that time working at Barnes', and in the morning he undertook to find some game.  He started east of Barnes' cabin, and had been gone but a few moments before the report of his gun was heard, and his halloo for help soon followed it.  The whole family started for the scene of action, anxious to know the result. Matthews had shot and killed a fine doe within a short distance of the house, and was proceeding to skin it. This gave Mrs. Barnes relief, and she furnished her guests an abundance of venison during the balance of their stay.

Moore purchased land in what is Joshua township, and gave the township its name. Ellis afterwards moved to Ellisville, which township was also named in his honor. He built a mill at the present site of Ellisville. Both of them were prominent and useful men, and possessed of great influence among the people at that early day. Moore died in 1853.

Mr. Levi G. Ellis first settled in this township and erected about the first mill in the county. A few years later he moved to Ellisville and Joseph H. Gardiner bought his farm and mill in Joshua. Mr. Ellis had erected a steam saw and grist mill in Joshua, the first in the township and in all probability the first steam mill in the county.

Mr. Ellis had previously run a water mill on Put creek, which was swept away by flood in 1835. Mr. Gardiner did a large business and for many years shipped flour to New York city. He made flat-boats upon which he would float his produce to St. Louis, starting from Copperas creek landing. After these boats were unloaded he would sell them to go further south. At one time he built a thirty-ton keel-boat, and carried it on wheels to Copperas creek, where it was launched. When the Illinois river was low and he could not run a boat to St. Louis he would take a team of four yoke of oxen and a team of horses, and put on about 100 bushels of wheat and start for Chicago, where he would get 60 cents to 62 1/2 cents per bushel, when wheat would only bring 25 cents at home. It would consume a month's time to make these trips. He would return with dry-goods and other necessaries. These trips as we may well suppose were very tedious. The roads in some places crossed sloughs and were difficult to get over. At such places they would be obliged to hitch sixteen to eighteen yoke of oxen to one wagon and pull it across, the wagon sinking often to the box. This they were able to do as there would be generally from fifty to one hundred teams in a train going to market.  They camped out on the prairies every night. They turned their oxen out to graze but tied them up at dark. Mr. Gardiner said it seldom cost any money to make the trip, but on one occasion there had been a prairie fire and in consequence they were obliged to buy corn from the settlers along the route. This cost him about $3 for the round trip, consuming a month of time.