Moses Pooler grew up in Kansas, and during the Civil War, he served in the Union Army’s 1st Kansas Battery. After removal from Kansas to Indian Territory, Pooler emerged as one of the most prosperous Ottawas.

Pooler established a thriving enterprise at what became known as Pooler’s Crossing, where the Military Road met the Neosho River. There he operated the Pooler Ferry, which carried settlers traveling south into Indian Territory and Texas and returned north with cattle bound for railways and markets. To serve travelers, he opened a post office, general store, blacksmith shop, and horse shed, turning the crossing into a central stop for freight and mail carriers.

Working with his son, Manford Pooler, by 1884 he farmed more than 200 acres, fenced over 1,000 acres, and maintained herds of more than one hundred cattle. Known for his generosity and civic spirit, Pooler hosted large Fourth of July celebrations that brought together nearby Native and non-Native communities. His ferry, farm, and hospitality made Pooler’s Crossing a key center of travel, trade, and community life in the late nineteenth century.