Francis W. Moore Jr. facts for kids
Francis W. Moore Jr. (1808–1864) was an important person in early Houston, Texas. He became the city's second mayor in 1838. He was elected two more times, serving as mayor in the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s. Moore was also a co-publisher of the Telegraph and Texas Register, a well-known newspaper in Houston.
Contents
Early Life of Francis Moore Jr.
Francis W. Moore Jr. was born on April 20, 1808, in Salem, Massachusetts. His father, Francis W. Moore, studied medicine at Harvard University. In 1828, the Moore family moved to Livingston, New York. When he was young, Francis Jr. lost one of his arms. By 1834, he moved to Bath, New York, where he studied law and worked as a teacher.
Moore's Career and Contributions
Newspaper Work: The Telegraph and Texas Register
In March 1837, Francis Moore Jr. bought shares in the Telegraph and Texas Register newspaper. He became a co-owner with Gail Borden and soon took over as the main editor. At that time, the newspaper was located in Columbia.
The first Texas Congress was expected to make Columbia the capital of the new Republic of Texas. Instead, they chose the new city of Houston. So, the newspaper publishers decided to move their printing press to Houston. Moving the press was hard because Houston and Columbia were about 50 miles (80 km) apart, with swampy land in between. They shipped the heavy printing press by boat. On April 16, 1837, the press arrived in Houston, on the same boat as the government offices of the Republic of Texas.
The first newspaper issue printed in Houston came out on May 2, 1837. Later, Gail Borden sold his shares to Jacob W. Cruger. Moore and Cruger worked together until 1851, when Moore bought Cruger's shares.
Under Moore's leadership, the newspaper became "the most important news source of the Republic of Texas." Even though the capital moved to Austin in 1840, the newspaper stayed in Houston. When the capital moved, Moore and Cruger started another newspaper, The Texas Sentinel, in Austin. Not everyone liked Moore's reporting. Governor Sam Houston once called Moore a "'lying scribbler'" who could write more "falsehoods" with one arm than others could with two.
Many articles in the newspaper tried to get people to move to Texas or convince new settlers to stay. The articles said that recent settlers were good people, which was different from the common idea that Texans were bad. They also wrote about the good things about living in Texas. In 1837, Moore wrote many articles describing Texas's natural resources and different regions. These articles were put into a book called Maps and Descriptions of Texas in 1840. The book was printed again in 1844 as Description of Texas. Other newspapers and journals often quoted Moore's articles.
Moore also included many articles that explained and supported the Texas Revolution and why the Republic of Texas existed. At the same time, as early as 1837, the newspaper wanted Texas to join the United States. They even published articles explaining that Texas should have been part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1846, after Texas joined the U.S., Moore and Cruger changed the newspaper's name to Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register. They said this was to show the political ideas they would support.
Moore also designed the Seal of Houston, which was officially adopted on February 24, 1840. He was paid $50 for this design. In 1854, Moore sold the newspaper to Harvey H. Allen.
Political Role: Mayor of Houston
Moore was elected as the mayor of Houston in 1838. As the second mayor of the city, he created Houston's first police force. Using his power as mayor and through his newspaper, he spoke out against dueling (fighting with weapons to settle arguments). He tried to help people solve their disagreements peacefully to prevent duels.
State Geologist
Even though Governor Sam Houston didn't always like Moore's newspaper articles, in 1860, he appointed Moore as the State Geologist. This meant Moore would study the rocks and land of Texas.
Personal Life
In 1840, Francis Moore married Elizabeth Mofat Wood. He had known her from his time in Bath, New York. The Moores had nine children together.
Death and Legacy
Francis W. Moore Jr. passed away in Duluth, Minnesota on September 1, 1864. He is buried in Brooklyn, New York, at Green-Wood Cemetery.
