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.