Isaac R. Moores
Encyclopedia
Col. Isaac R. Moores was an American
soldier and politician in Illinois
and Oregon
. A native of Kentucky
, he would serve in the Seminole War and the Black Hawk War
before immigrating to the Oregon Territory
. In Oregon, Moores served in the Territorial Legislature
and at the Oregon Constitutional Convention
. His son, Isaac R. Moores, Jr.
would become Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
.
, on March 23, 1796. His father, Henry, was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War
. Moores grew up in the south and in 1814 he enlisted in the United States Army
to fight in the Seminole War. In 1818, he served under future president Andrew Jackson
in the Seminole War, fighting two campaigns.
In 1818, he married Jane Alexander (December 27, 1793-January 28, 1868) in Tennessee
. They would live for a time in Alabama
before moving north to Illinois
. Moores was a friend of Sam Houston
and the later attempted to recruit Moores for settlement in Texas
. The Moores family would settle in Danville, Illinois
, in 1824. During the Black Hawk War
in 1831 he was selected as a colonel and led the 4th regiment of the Illinois Volunteers. Moores also formed a company of soldiers to serve in the Mexican American War, but never enlisted as the state had reached its quota for soldiers.
to the Oregon Territory
in a wagon train of 70 wagons. The family arrived in Portland
in November 1852. Col. Moores moved to the southern end of the Willamette Valley
, settling in Lane County
. There he acquired a farm totaling 1710 acres (6.9 km²).
In 1855, Moores was elected to represent Lane County as a Democrat in the Oregon Territory House of Representatives. Moores was elected as a delegate to the Oregon Constitutional Convention
in 1857. Held in Salem
, the convention created a constitution as Oregon prepared to become a state. Moores represented Lane County again as a Democrat, serving on the military affairs committee.
in 1860, but he lost the election. Moores’ children were John H.
(June 26, 1821-December 16, 1880), Martha A. (February 1, 1824-March 23, 1847), Mary Matilda (January 21, 1826-April 20, 1864), Charles W. (November 2, 1828-June 10, 1864), and Isaac Ross Moores
(February 14, 1831-July 25, 1884). Isaac R. Moores, Sr. died in Eugene on April 15, 1861, at the age of 65 and was buried in the Salem Pioneer Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier and politician in 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,...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. A native of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, he would serve in the Seminole War and the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
before immigrating to the Oregon Territory
Oregon 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 Oregon, Moores served in the Territorial Legislature
Oregon Territorial Legislature
Oregon’s Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory...
and at the Oregon Constitutional Convention
Oregon Constitutional Convention
The Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857 drafted the Oregon Constitution in preparation for the Oregon Territory to become a U.S. state. Held from mid-August through September, 60 men met in Salem, Oregon, and created the foundation for Oregon's law. The proposal passed with a vote of 35 for...
. His son, Isaac R. Moores, Jr.
Isaac R. Moores, Jr.
Isaac Ross Moores, Jr. was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of Isaac R. Moores, he was born in Illinois and moved to the Oregon Territory in 1852. In Oregon, he would serve in the Oregon House of Representatives, including as Speaker of that body.-Early...
would become Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
.
Early years
Isaac Moores was born in Madison County, KentuckyMadison County, Kentucky
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2008, the population was 82,192. Its county seat is Richmond. The county is named for Virginia statesman James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States. This is also where famous pioneer Daniel...
, on March 23, 1796. His father, Henry, was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Moores grew up in the south and in 1814 he enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
to fight in the Seminole War. In 1818, he served under future president Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
in the Seminole War, fighting two campaigns.
In 1818, he married Jane Alexander (December 27, 1793-January 28, 1868) in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. They would live for a time in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
before moving north 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,...
. Moores was a friend of Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
and the later attempted to recruit Moores for settlement in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The Moores family would settle in Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
, in 1824. During the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
in 1831 he was selected as a colonel and led the 4th regiment of the Illinois Volunteers. Moores also formed a company of soldiers to serve in the Mexican American War, but never enlisted as the state had reached its quota for soldiers.
Oregon
Isaac Moores and his family left Danville in March 1852 and traveled 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...
to the Oregon Territory
Oregon 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 a wagon train of 70 wagons. The family arrived in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in November 1852. Col. Moores moved to the southern end of the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
, settling in Lane County
Lane County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siuslaw National Forest *Umpqua National Forest *Willamette National Forest -Government:...
. There he acquired a farm totaling 1710 acres (6.9 km²).
In 1855, Moores was elected to represent Lane County as a Democrat in the Oregon Territory House of Representatives. Moores was elected as a delegate to the Oregon Constitutional Convention
Oregon Constitutional Convention
The Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857 drafted the Oregon Constitution in preparation for the Oregon Territory to become a U.S. state. Held from mid-August through September, 60 men met in Salem, Oregon, and created the foundation for Oregon's law. The proposal passed with a vote of 35 for...
in 1857. Held in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, the convention created a constitution as Oregon prepared to become a state. Moores represented Lane County again as a Democrat, serving on the military affairs committee.
Later years and family
Opposed to slavery, he would become a Republican when that party organized. The Republican Party nominated him for the Oregon State SenateOregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
in 1860, but he lost the election. Moores’ children were John H.
John H. Moores
John Henry Moores was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of Isaac R. Moores, he was born in Alabama and moved to the Oregon Territory in 1852. In Oregon, he would serve in the Oregon State Senate and as the mayor of Salem.-Early life:John Henry Moores was born...
(June 26, 1821-December 16, 1880), Martha A. (February 1, 1824-March 23, 1847), Mary Matilda (January 21, 1826-April 20, 1864), Charles W. (November 2, 1828-June 10, 1864), and Isaac Ross Moores
Isaac R. Moores, Jr.
Isaac Ross Moores, Jr. was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of Isaac R. Moores, he was born in Illinois and moved to the Oregon Territory in 1852. In Oregon, he would serve in the Oregon House of Representatives, including as Speaker of that body.-Early...
(February 14, 1831-July 25, 1884). Isaac R. Moores, Sr. died in Eugene on April 15, 1861, at the age of 65 and was buried in the Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery
Salem Pioneer Cemetery is a cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States.-Overview:...
.