As one of the seven original townships of Allegheny County, Moon Township has a long and rich history. From the humble home of Joshua, John, and Jacob Meek in what is now Crescent Township to the Stoops House, owned by 19th-century riverboat captain William Stoops, todays Moon Township is a byproduct of these modest roots. Formed in 1788, Moon Townships history crosses borders into neighboring Findlay and Crescent Townships, which once comprised Moon. Today Moon Township is recognized as one of the most bustling and vibrant communities in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. Home to portions of Pittsburgh International Airport, a growing commercial corridor, and hundreds of new families each year, Moon Township is a major player in the future of western Pennsylvania. Through vintage photographs, Moon Township chronicles how this area has changed with the times while preserving as much of its history as possible.

The sketches in this book, numbering approximately 2,250 and naming a total of 50,000 related persons, generally treat subjects who were born in the early nineteenth century, with reference to immediate forebears of the late eighteenth century. The sketches typically mention the date and place of birth and marriage of the principal subject, the place of birth of his parents and often grandparents, sometimes the name of the first ancestor in America, and details of religion, education, military service, occupation, home, and residence.

"Forgotten Past" is the story of Moon Township's initial settlement and its demise during the American Revolution. Reborn after the Treaty of Paris, the settlers gradually restored the remnants of their frontier farms and succeeding generations proceeded to make them self-sufficient. As the nineteenth and twentieth centuries arrived, daily life is revealed in the context of local government, economic transition, social amenities, educational advances and the diversity of religious affiliations.