Background
Wert Emmit Moore was an Oregon, Washington, and California educator and
Mayor of Grants Pass, Oregon. His father was Glaudius Wilbur Moore, whose
family had settled in Marysville, California in the early 1850s. Glaudius Moore
went to Texas to "ride the range" when but fifteen and there met and married
Annie E. Buttery. The couple had three children, Wert Moore being the eldest
(b.1878). The family moved to Silver City, New Mexico (1882), where Glaudius
Moore prospected for gold, then to Oregon (1885), where Moore's father again
sought gold. From 1887 to 1889 the family farmed on several Eastern Oregon land
claims, then, in 1890, the Moores moved to Gardiner, Oregon, where the father
was proprietor of a hotel. Wert went to school in Gardiner and became
interested in pioneer history. In 1892 the Moores moved to Drain, Oregon, where
Glaudius was again a hotel proprietor. The family remained there until 1937,
although Glaudius Moore left at times to prospect in Montana and Canada. In
June 1899 Wert Moore graduated from the Central Oregon State Normal School. He
then began a teaching career as head teacher at Lebam, Washington. In his
subsequent early career he was Principal at Toledo and Kalama, Wash. and County
High School, Enterprise, Oregon. He then taught at Puyallup High School, Wash.,
was Principal at Washington School, Olympia, Wash. and a high school teacher at
Everett, Wash.