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Remember This? The many jobs of R.M. Moore

From tax collector to justice of the peace, to fill-in editor of the local newspaper, the Korah Township native did it all

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

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Remember This? . . . R.M. Moore

George Moore was one of the earliest settlers in Korah Township and arrived in the area with his wife and family in 1850.

George, who was in his 70s at the time, and his son Richard Robert Moore cut logs from Point aux Pins and built a Hudson Bay style log cabin at Moore’s Point.  Richard Moses Moore, son of Richard Robert Moore and Julia Pryor, was one of eight children, and was born on January 5, 1874 and grew up at his family home on the Moore’s Homestead, at the corner of Third Line and Allen’s Side Road.

Richard M. Moore attended the old Base Line school from 1880 to 1887 and was among the first students to graduate from that school.  The first Base Line school was built west of Carpin Beach Side Road (McKinnon’s Corners), but was moved to the corner of Base Line and Carpin Beach Side Road (Hill’s Corner) due to soil conditions.

At that time there was no high school in the Sault area so to further his education Richard Moses Moore (R.M.) took correspondence courses to complete high school. He then went on to graduate from the Furse Business Collegiate. In the 1890s, R.M. received his papers as a stationary engineer and worked on several barges and boats. 

In 1903, at the age of 29, he was named tax collector for the Sault and Korah Township.  When Korah was incorporated in 1904, he became its Treasurer and Clerk. He served in both offices until 1914, when he resigned as Treasurer but remained as Township Clerk for a total of more than 51 years until he retired in 1954.

Many believed that during R.M.’s 61-year involvement in the administration of Korah Township he held almost every civic office at one time or another, including Division Registrar, Assessor, Relief Officer, Road Clerk and membership on the Korah Township Board of Health.  Having acted as the secretary of the Board of Health he presented the Sault Ste. Marie Historical Society with the board’s minute book in 1957, much of which he had recorded himself! 

R.M. served as Justice of the Peace for 24 years.  

He was also a trustee of the first House of Refuge in the Korah area, which later became known as the F.J. Davey Home. He was involved in the area’s sports scene for over 36 years and was, in fact, a sports writer and the Korah news column contributor for the Sault Star for many years. He stepped in briefly as the editor of the Sault Star in 1908 when Mr. Curran took a four-week vacation.

R.M.’s passion for quality education greatly contributed to the establishment of the Township School Board in 1950. On June 2, 1954, he participated in his last Township meeting as the Clerk before retiring and transferring his duties over to his successor, Robert Beaton.

In 1961, the Base Line school was renamed R.M. Moore Public School in honour of the man who was so instrumental in Korah Township.  R.M. Moore died on November 9, 1966. Over the course of his career, he served with twelve Reeves and fifty-one different councils and served under five British Sovereigns.

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Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here


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