Background
Robert Moore was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on October 2, 1781.
Robert Moore was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on October 2, 1781.
A Pennsylvania native and veteran of the War of 1812, he also participated in the early movements to form a government in Country and founded Linn City, Before traveling to in 1840 he had served in the Missouri General Assembly. 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 Country.
Margaret would die in 1848 in Missouri. Robert Moore traveled to over the Trail 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 1840 at Willamette Falls.
In 1840, after arriving, Moore began building Robin’s Nest across the river from City. He purchased the 1,000 acres (40 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 Acting.
By 1845, Moore was also operating a ferry across the Willamette River to City.
Moore’s political career began in Missouri where he was elected to the state house in 1830 to represent Ste. Genevieve County. In 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, Doctor 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
In 1848, the region south of the 49th degree of latitude became the United States" Territory. In 1850, Robert Moore was appointed as territorial printer. From 1850 to 1851 Moore was the owner of the Spectator newspaper based out of City.
Also in 1850, Moore became the postmaster for the community.
He also advocated for the property rights of Doctor John McLoughlin, whose land holdings in City were denied in the Donation Land Acting 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.