Robert Moore (Oregon pioneer)
Encyclopedia
Robert Moore was an American
politician and pioneer in the Oregon Country
. A Pennsylvania
native and veteran of the War of 1812
, he also participated in the early movements to form a government in Oregon Country
and founded Linn City, Oregon
. Before traveling to Oregon in 1840 he had served in the Missouri General Assembly
.
, on October 2, 1781. In 1805, Moore married Margaret Clark, and they would have ten children. In the east he served as a soldier in the War of 1812 before moving to the Midwest where he helped to found several towns and built several businesses. The Moores would move to Illinois
where Robert left the family to immigrate to Oregon Country
. Margaret would die in 1848 in Missouri
.
in 1839. He started out with the Farnham party from Peoria, Illinois
, known as the Peoria Party
. Moore joined the Shortess party briefly after the Peoria Party split at Bent’s Fort. He arrived in Oregon 1840 at Willamette Falls
. Three of his ten children also immigrated west.
In 1840, after arriving, Moore began building Robin’s Nest across the river from Oregon City. He purchased the 1000 acres (4 km²) from a local Native American chief named Wanaxha. The town was later renamed Linn City
in honor of Missouri
Senator Lewis Linn who sponsored the Donation Land Claim Act
. By 1845, Moore was also operating a ferry across the Willamette River
to Oregon City.
where he was elected to the state house
in 1830 to represent Ste. Genevieve County
.
In Oregon on February 18, 1841, Moore was selected to a constitutional committee by fellow pioneers in an early and failed attempt at forming a provisional government. Though a constitution was never adopted, Dr. Ira L. Babcock was selected to serve as a supreme judge with probate powers to deal with the estate of prominent pioneer Ewing Young
, while Moore was chosen as a justice of the peace.
Then at the July 5, 1843, Champoeg Meeting
Moore participated and voted in favor of forming a provisional government
. The proposal passed 52 to 50, leading to the creation of the Provisional Government. Robert Moore was selected for the legislative committee
that same year to draft the Organic Laws of Oregon
.
. In 1850, Robert Moore was appointed as territorial printer. From 1850 to 1851 Moore was the owner of the Oregon Spectator
newspaper based out of Oregon City. Also in 1850, Moore became the postmaster for the community. He also advocated for the property rights of Dr. John McLoughlin
, whose land holdings in Oregon City were denied in the Donation Land Act of 1850. Moore remarried in 1851 to Jane Gilbert Tubbs Apperson. In 1854, a fire destroyed much of Linn City, so the business district was relocated to the west and the city became West Linn
. The rest of the city was destroyed by a fire in 1861 before flooding that December
wiped out what remained. Robert Moore died on September 2, 1857, at the age of 75.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and pioneer in the Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
. A Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
native and veteran of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he also participated in the early movements to form a government in Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
and founded Linn City, Oregon
Linn City, Oregon
Linn City was a community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, that existed from 1843-1861. The former site of Linn City was incorporated into the city of West Linn.-History:...
. Before traveling to Oregon in 1840 he had served in the Missouri General Assembly
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
.
Early life
Robert Moore was born in Franklin County, PennsylvaniaFranklin County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 129,313 people, 50,633 households, and 36,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 168 people per square mile . There were 53,803 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile...
, on October 2, 1781. In 1805, Moore married Margaret Clark, and they would have ten children. In the east he served as a soldier in the War of 1812 before moving to the Midwest where he helped to found several towns and built several businesses. The Moores would move to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where Robert left the family to immigrate to Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
. Margaret would die in 1848 in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Oregon
Robert Moore traveled to Oregon over the Oregon TrailOregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
in 1839. He started out with the Farnham party from Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, known as the Peoria Party
Peoria Party
The Peoria Party was a group of men from Peoria in the U.S. state of Illinois, who set out on May 1, 1839 with the intention to colonize the Oregon Country on behalf of the United States and drive out the English fur trading companies operating there...
. Moore joined the Shortess party briefly after the Peoria Party split at Bent’s Fort. He arrived in Oregon 1840 at Willamette Falls
Willamette Falls
The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, in the United States. It is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest and the eighteenth largest in the world by water volume. Horseshoe in shape, it is wide and high with a flow...
. Three of his ten children also immigrated west.
In 1840, after arriving, Moore began building Robin’s Nest across the river from Oregon City. He purchased the 1000 acres (4 km²) from a local Native American chief named Wanaxha. The town was later renamed Linn City
Linn City, Oregon
Linn City was a community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, that existed from 1843-1861. The former site of Linn City was incorporated into the city of West Linn.-History:...
in honor of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
Senator Lewis Linn who sponsored the Donation Land Claim Act
Donation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
. By 1845, Moore was also operating a ferry across the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
to Oregon City.
Politics
Moore’s political career began in MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
where he was elected to the state house
Missouri General Assembly
The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...
in 1830 to represent Ste. Genevieve County
Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri
Sainte Genevieve County, often abbreviated Ste. Genevieve County , is a county located in East Central Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 17,842. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 17,720. The largest city and county seat is...
.
In Oregon on February 18, 1841, Moore was selected to a constitutional committee by fellow pioneers in an early and failed attempt at forming a provisional government. Though a constitution was never adopted, Dr. Ira L. Babcock was selected to serve as a supreme judge with probate powers to deal with the estate of prominent pioneer Ewing Young
Ewing Young
Ewing Young was an American fur trapper and trader from Tennessee who traveled Mexican southwestern North America and California before settling in the Oregon Country. As a prominent and wealthy citizen there, his death was the impetus for the early formation of government in what became the state...
, while Moore was chosen as a justice of the peace.
Then at the July 5, 1843, Champoeg Meeting
Champoeg Meetings
The Champoeg Meetings in Oregon Country were the first attempts at governing in the Pacific Northwest by United States European-American pioneers. Prior to this, the closest entity to a government was the Hudson's Bay Company, mainly through Dr...
Moore participated and voted in favor of forming a provisional government
Provisional Government of Oregon
The Provisional Government of Oregon was a popularly elected government created in the Oregon Country, in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It existed from May 2, 1843 until March 3, 1849. Created at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region, this independent government...
. The proposal passed 52 to 50, leading to the creation of the Provisional Government. Robert Moore was selected for the legislative committee
Provisional Legislature of Oregon
The Provisional Legislature of Oregon was the single-chamber legislative body of the Provisional Government of Oregon. It served the Oregon Country of the Pacific Northwest of North America from 1843 until early 1849 at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region...
that same year to draft the Organic Laws of Oregon
Organic Laws of Oregon
The Organic Laws of Oregon were two sets of laws passed in the 1840s that established a structure for government in the Oregon Country in the northwest corner of North America. These laws were created by a legislative committee formed after the Champoeg Meetings...
.
Later years
In 1848, the region south of the 49th degree of latitude became the United States' Oregon TerritoryOregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
. In 1850, Robert Moore was appointed as territorial printer. From 1850 to 1851 Moore was the owner of the Oregon Spectator
Oregon Spectator
The Oregon Spectator, was a newspaper published from 1846 to 1855 in Oregon City of what was first the Oregon Country and later the Oregon Territory of the United States. The Spectator was the first American newspaper to be published west of the Rocky Mountains and was the main paper of the region...
newspaper based out of Oregon City. Also in 1850, Moore became the postmaster for the community. He also advocated for the property rights of Dr. John McLoughlin
John McLoughlin
Dr. John McLoughlin, baptized Jean-Baptiste McLoughlin, was the Chief Factor of the Columbia Fur District of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver. He was later known as the "Father of Oregon" for his role in assisting the American cause in the Oregon Country in the Pacific Northwest...
, whose land holdings in Oregon City were denied in the Donation Land Act of 1850. Moore remarried in 1851 to Jane Gilbert Tubbs Apperson. In 1854, a fire destroyed much of Linn City, so the business district was relocated to the west and the city became West Linn
West Linn, Oregon
West Linn is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Now a prosperous southern suburb of Portland, West Linn has a history of early development, prompted by the opportunity to harvest energy from nearby Willamette Falls. It was named after Senator Dr. Lewis Fields Linn of Ste...
. The rest of the city was destroyed by a fire in 1861 before flooding that December
Great Flood of 1862
The Great Flood of 1862 or Noachian Deluge was the largest flood in the recorded history of Oregon, Nevada and California, occurring from December 1861 to January 1862. It was preceded by weeks of continuous rains that began in Oregon in November 1861 and continued into January 1862...
wiped out what remained. Robert Moore died on September 2, 1857, at the age of 75.