The Moores
Parents of George E. Moore
Great-great grandparents

George E. Moore

Patrick Moore
Born Jan 15, 1830
Place: Hacketstown, Co. Carlow Ire
Died May 11, 1903
Place: St Paul MN
Burial: Calvary Cem. St. Paul

Norah McMahon
Born Feb 15, 1831
Place: ? Ireland
Died: June 4, 1901
Place: St. Paul, MN
Burial: Calvary Cem. St. Paul

The Patrick and Norah Moore Family
from left to right back row:
Charles Edward, Patrick Henry, George E., Lawrence, Joseph W.
Front row:
Anna Jane, Norah (mother) Patrick (father), Mary Elizabeth,
and John L (on stool)


Patrick Moore and two of his grandchildren
Lester and Susan Moore, children of Joseph W. Moore.

(See INDEX OF SURNAMES for further information on the children of Patrick and Norah Moore)

There is speculation as to the exact year Patrick came to the US and many discrepancies in the information we have on him. In 1858 he received his "Final" papers for Naturalization to become a citizen in St. Croix County, WI. A copy of his application is also filed with this document and was issued from Hartford, Connecticut, stating he applied on April 4, 1853. However, no record of the application has been found in Hartford, CT or of Patrick being in Connecticut. On the 1900 Federal Census Patrick stated he came to the US in 1850. His wife Norah states she came in 1844 and that they were married for 53 years. These dates do not add up. This would mean they were married in 1847 and supposedly Patrick wasn't in the US until 1850. There are lots of errors on the Census records, and their marriage record has never been found, so none of the above information can be documented.


The 1860 Federal Census found Patrick and Norah living in the town of Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin with 3 children. The oldest child, Ann, was 5 years old. This would place her year of birth as 1855-56. It hardly seems possible that if Patrick and Norah were married in 1847 they would wait 8 years to have children.

We do know Patrick was in Hudson as early as 1855. He purchased property there on December 15, 1855, and additional property on April 1, 1857. His brothers John, Peter, Lawrence, Christopher, and Joseph also came to the Hudson area. One brother, Thomas, probably came over at the same time, but made his home in Auburn, NY and died there in the 1870's. There are still descendants of Thomas Moore living in Syracuse NY. Another brother, Dennis, and a sister Elisa, remained in Ireland and descendants of Dennis Moore have been contacted. (see the Surname Index for information on the brothers and sister of Patrick Moore).

In 1867 Patrick and Norah moved to Stillwater, Minnesota. On the 1870 Federal Census Patrick was listed as the proprietor of a grocery store. From a local history of the town it states he was in business with Patrick Kinsella under the name of "Moore & Kinsella". Several references were found of Patrick Moore being involved in activities in Stillwater. A "P. Moore" was listed as being a part of the first fire dept. established in Stillwater in the 1860's. Patrick's grocery store was located on south Main Street in Stillwater.

SEE STILLWATER AS IT WAS WHEN THE MOORE'S LIVED THERE AND THE GROCERY STORE: CLICK HERE

By 1876 John Ireland, St. Paul's first arch bishop, had already established Irish settlements in several counties in Minnesota. He had hoped to better the lives of the Irish immigrants and to help them obtain farms. He formed the Catholic Colonization Bureau in St. Paul and began soliciting immigrants from all over. About 75,000 acres of land in Swift County, Minnesota were set aside for railroad and farm land. These were quickly taken up by immigrants in 1876. Patrick and Norah were a part of this settlement. They moved from Stillwater, possibly around 1875, and were found on the 1880 Federal Census in the town of Kildare, Swift county MN. Patrick's occupation was listed as "farmer". From the "History of Swift County Minnesota" A Patrick Moore is mentioned in the minutes of a town meeting, dated January 1875, as one of the board members petitioning to create a new town called Moransville. Patrick was appointed treasurer for the year 1876. He is also listed as treasurer in Kildare twp. for the year 1881. The following article appeared in the Benson Times, a local newspaper in Swift county, Minnesota on May 23, 1879 and may or may not be our Patrick Moore:

"The Degraff House, kept by P. Moore, is a popular house, and is liberally patronized. The traveling public consider it one of the best houses on the line. Mr. Moore also sells lumber and shingles".

Since Patrick had previously ran an inn while living in Hudson, it's very possible that he is the P. Moore mentioned in this article, and later made an attempt at farming as shown on the 1880 census.


The Moore's left Swift county between 1881 and 1882 and moved to St. Paul. Patrick first appears in the St. Paul City directory in 1882-83. According to research by Barbara Swedenburg, Patrick and Norah lived at 940 W 7th Street in St. Paul and ran a grocery store and restaurant from 1886-1893.

Front of 940 West 7th Street, St Paul. Photos taken in the 1980's   Back of 940 West 7th Street St. Paul

By 1900 Patrick and Norah were living with their widowed son, Joseph W. Moore and his children, Lester and Susie Moore at 236 Victoria Street in St. Paul. Norah died June 4, 1901 and Patrick died two years later on May 11, 1903. Both are buried at Calvary Cemetery in St. Paul.

We have been able to trace Patrick's family to Hacketstown, County Carlow Ireland and have been in contact with distant relatives still living there. Mr. John Murphy, who is the great-grandson of Lawrence and Ann (Sweeny) Moore lives in Arklow, County Wicklow Ireland. John's brother, Lawrence Moore and his family still live on the original Moore homestead in Hacketstown.

We have been unable to determine where in Ireland Norah McMahon was born, her parents or siblings names.