John Henry Moores (June 26, 1821–December 16, 1880) was an American businessman and politician in the state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. The son of

Isaac R. Moores Col. Isaac R. Moores (March 23, 1796– April 15, 1861) 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. ...

, he was born in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

and moved to the

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. Ori ...

in 1852. In Oregon, he would serve in the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US 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 Sena ...

and as the mayor of

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

Early life

John Henry Moores was born in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...

, on June 26, 1821.Burial Details.

Salem Pioneer Cemetery Salem Pioneer Cemetery (also known as the I.O.O.F. Cemetery or Oddfellows Cemetery) is a cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States. Overview Salem Pioneer Cemetery is one of two historic cemeteries located next to each other at the intersection ...

. Retrieved on March 24, 2008. He was the oldest child of

and Jane Alexander. He grew up in

Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...

, before moving to

Benton, Missouri Benton is a city in Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 863 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Scott County. History Benton was settled as early as 1796. The town site was platted in 1822. The community was name ...

, where he began working. Moores married Virginia Lafayette Lamon (July 14, 1825 – June 9, 1897) on May 11, 1847.

Oregon

In 1851, Moores returned to Danville before heading west over the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and Westward Expansion Trails, emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what ...

to the

in March 1852. John joined his family in this trek, and all arrived in November 1852 in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

. He then moved to

in March 1853. In 1856, he went into business with his younger brother Isaac R. Moores, Jr., operating a mercantile store in Salem until 1865. They would build the brick Moores block in that city, now site of the Pioneer Trust Building. In 1858, Moores served as mayor of Salem for a brief time prior to the city charter legally passing the state legislature, after he had already served on the city’s first city council. He returned to the post of mayor in 1864, and then served three consecutive terms from 1866 to 1869. In 1870, he was elected to the

. He served four years, representing Marion County as a Republican. John Moores also served as Marion County Treasurer and on the board of trustees at

Willamette University Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...

. Additionally, he was on the board of directors for the Salem school district and the Oregon State Agricultural Society. Moores would buy the South Salem Flour and Lumber Mills, selling off part of it in the 1870s while combining the timber interest with the Capital Lumbering Company. He worked as manager and secretary of the company beginning in June 1876, until his death. Along with George H. Atkinson, he selected the site of the Oregon State Insane Asylum (now

Oregon State Hospital Oregon State Hospital is a public psychiatric hospital in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the state's capital city of Salem with a smaller satellite campus in Junction City opened in 2014. Founded in 1862 and constructed in the Kirkbride ...

) and the

Oregon State Penitentiary Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), sometimes called Oregon State Prison, is a supermax, maximum security prison in the Northwestern United States, northwest United States in Salem, Oregon, Salem, Oregon. Originally opened in Portland, Oregon, Portl ...

as part of a special commission.

Later years and family

John’s wife Virginia was a founding member of Salem’s Children's Aid Society in 1865. Children of John and Virginia were

Charles B. Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, Albert, Gertrude, Bertha, Carrie, and Althea. Charles would later serve in the

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 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

and was Speaker of the chamber in 1895.Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on March 26, 2008. The couple were also members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Salem. John Henry Moores died on December 16, 1880, at the age of 59 in Salem. He was buried at

where many in his family are buried.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moores, John H. Republican Party Oregon state senators Mayors of Salem, Oregon 1821 births 1880 deaths Willamette University people Burials at Salem Pioneer Cemetery Oregon pioneers Oregon city council members Politicians from Huntsville, Alabama People from Danville, Illinois 19th-century American legislators Businesspeople from Oregon 19th-century American businesspeople