Site of Moore Hotel

Site of Moore Hotel. . , William J. and Mary O'Daniel Moore moved to Texas from Alabama with their family in 1845, and settled in Lavaca County in 1853 on 500 acres. Moore was a farmer and raised livestock. Their son Samuel B. Moore also became a farmer and rancher. , In the 1860s, Samuel and his brother William Moore bought 12,000 acres of land now lying between the towns of Moulton and Shiner. The Moore brothers granted right-of-way out of their land to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad in 1887. A townsite was platted, and the new town of Moulton was established. , The Moore Hotel was built in 1888 to accommodate travelers. Constructed here east of the railroad depot, the 32-room hotel included a large room built for traveling salesmen to display their wares. The dining room and parlor in the hotel became a gathering place and the social center of the area. , The Moore Hotel was sold to Christian Kotzbue in 1890. He added 10 more guest rooms and a wine cellar. The hotel was operated by the Kotzbue family for several decades, but gradually went out of business and was razed in 1940. A grocery store built in its place was converted into a cafe in 1942.