Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 1156.
 
HON. JESSE C. MOORE

     an Oregon pioneer of 1852, and a prominent citizen and business man of
Washington county, Oregon, was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas. September 3,
1830. He is the son of Thomas and Eliza (Wilson) Moore, both natives of
Kentucky, born, respectively, in 1804 and in 1810, and were early settlers in
the State of Arkansas.  Our subject's father was a farmer in Arkansas, and
reared a family of ten children, and died in the fifty-fourth year of his age.
Six of the children are living.
     Our subject was the second child in the family, and was reared in
Washington county, Arkansas, near Fayetteville. He became of age in September,
and in the following spring he started for California. The emigration had been
so great to California that in order to get food for the cattle, the party with
whom our subject was connected changed their plans and came to Oregon. They were
six months and seventeen days on the journey, and arrived at Portland October
22, and our subject came almost directly to Washington county and took a job of
splitting 10,000 rails for Mr. William Wilson. He worked at jobbing and
farming until 1855, and then went to California and engaged in digging gold in
Siskiyou county, meeting with success. There he remained for three years, and
then returned to Oregon, having lost his health by a sunstroke. He then came to
his present locality, at Greenville, and was soon elected Assessor of the
county, serving two years. On May 17, 1852, he was united in marriage with Miss
Rachel S.Wilson, a native of Missouri, born in 1843. Her parents came to Oregon
in 1843.
     After marriage Mr. Moore purchased 320 acres of land, and engaged in
farming for two years, and was then elected Sheriff of the county, and served in
this office so acceptably that he was re-elected for three terms. At the close
of his service as Sheriff he returned to his farm and successfully carried on
operations there for a number of years, and added to his property 160 acres,
making the farm 480 acres, and this place he still owns. In 1877 he rented his
farm and purchased an interest in the Greenville store, with Mr. Pierce, the
firm being Pierce & Moore. They continued to do a prosperous business, and in
1885 they dissolved partnership, Mr. Moore continuing the business until 1892,
when Mr. Walter Foster purchased a one-third interest in it, and the name of the
firm now is Moore, Foster & Co., the "company" being Mr. Moore's son, who was
taken into the firm. From the first connection of our subject with the business
there has been every indication of prosperity, and the trade has been constantly
increasing.
     In 1888 Mr. Moore was elected a member of the State Legislature, and was
re-elected a second time. While serving he gave strict attention to the
interests of his constituents, and served on several important committees in a
very capable manner. His wife is a member of the Congregational Church, while he
is a member of the Christian Church; and, notwithstanding that he was reared in
the South, where feeling was high at the opening of the war, he took a firm
stand for the Union and joined the ranks of the Republican party, and thus
showed himself able to rise above the prejudices of early training when a great
question was to be decided.
    Our subject is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is an upright,
honorable citizen, and has richly deserved the success which has crowned his
efforts in Oregon.
    July 8, 1880, Mrs. Moore died, after a married life of eighteen years, a
most excellent wife and tender mother. She left four children: William L., born
in 1868; Anne M., born in 1874; Hatty M., born in 1876; and Frederick C., born
in 1878. Mr. Moore married Miss Jenny Wilson, August 13, 1882, and by this
marriage there are two sons: Jesse C., Jr., born in August, 1883; and Max W.,
born December 28,1892.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.