Stephen Pike Moss (June 24, 1840 – May 17, 1917) was a rancher, businessman, and state legislator from the state of Oregon. He was a Democrat who served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives. In the house, Moss represented a very large rural district in south central Oregon. He was also a co-founder of the Lake County Examiner, a newspaper published in Lakeview, Oregon.
Early life
Moss was born in Peoria, Illinois on June 24, 1840, the son of Micajah and Sara Moss. His father was a farmer. Moss grew up and was educated in Peoria until the age of twelve when he moved with his family to Linn County, Oregon. He lived in Linn County for sixteen years where he became a farmer.Hodgkin, Frank E. and J. J. Galvin, "Hon. Stephen Pike Moss", Pen Pictures of Representative Men of Oregon, Farmer and Dairyman Publishing House, Portland, Oregon, 1882, p. 27-28."Stephen Moss", United States Census, 1860, United States National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, District of Columbia; accessed via FamilySearch on 25 September 2016."Prospects for Deadlock", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 22 January 1903, p. 3. In 1856, Moss enlisted as a private in Company C of the Oregon Rangers volunteer militia battalion. He served a three-month tour in the John Day River country in north central Oregon before returning to Linn County.Victor, Frances Fuller, "Muster Rolls" (…Captain William G. Haley’s Company C of the Battalion of Oregon Rangers…), The Early Indian Wars of Oregon, Frank C. Baker State Printer, Salem, Oregon, 1894, p. 682.Nelson, Kurt R., Treaties and Treachery: The Northwest Indians' Resistance to Conquest, Caxton Press, Caldwell, Idaho, 2011, p. 183-184."Soldiers as Law Makers", Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon, 6 February 1889, p. 4."Indian War Veterans in the House", Morning Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, 16 February 1889, p. 2.
Moss married Sarah Robnett in 1861; however, she died in 1868. Shortly after her death, Moss sold his farm and relocated to Big Valley, California, where he becoming a stockman. In 1870, he married Margaret Casteel. In 1872, Moss moved his family back to Oregon. They settled on a stock ranch in the Chewaucan Valley southeast of Paisley in Lake County. Over time, Moss became a successful rancher."Andy Lane Dead", Eugene Guard, Eugene, Oregon, 21 December 1896, p. 4. Later, he was a partner in a sawmill near New Pine Creek south of Lakeview."New Pine Creek", An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, Washington, 1905, p. 853.
Lake County politics Moss was very active in civic affairs. He was a progressive Democrat who believed in grass-roots Jeffersonian democracy. In 1875, he was elected justice of the peace for the Chewaucan Valley area. A year later, Moss was elected Lake County commissioner."Political", An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, Washington, 1905, p. 869-871.
In 1880, Moss joined another prominent Lake County Democrat, Charles A. Cogswell, to start a newspaper in Lakeview; their newspaper, the Lake County Examiner, was created in response to the State Line Herald, another local newspaper that actively advocated Republican political views. While the Examiner advocated a Democratic point of view, its front page often featured short fiction stories and anecdotes rather than actual news. Initially, the two rival newspapers battled vigorously with opposing political editorials. In 1881, James H. Evans acquired the Herald and a year later he bought the Examiner. Evans merged the two newspapers under the Examiner name, but kept the Herald’s Republican editorial viewpoint."Lake County Examiner: The Official Newspaper of Record for Lake County", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 24 August 2015.Rabun, Sheila, "Lake County Examiner", Historic Oregon Newspapers, Oregon Digital Newspaper Program, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon, 15 July 2014."Lake Paper Observes 70th Year", Herald and News, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 1 December 1950, p. 10.
State representative In 1882, Moss ran for the District 22 seat in the Oregon House of Representatives as a Democrat. He beat his Republican opponent by 88 votes, 316 to 228."Lake County Official", Oregon Sentinel, Jacksonville, Oregon, 17 June 1882, p. 3. District 22 was a large rural district in south central Oregon covering all of Lake County (which at that time, also included what is now Klamath County). The size of the legislative district was over . Moss took his seat in the Oregon House on September 11, 1882 and served through the regular legislative session which ended on 19 October. During the session, Moss served as a member of the House internal improvements and assessments committees. Among his peers, he was known as a quiet and thoughtful member of the House."Next Legislature", Willamette Farmer, Salem, Oregon, 30 June 1882, p. 1."Next Legislature", Jacksonville Sentinel, Jacksonville, Oregon, 2 September 1882, p. 2."1882 Regular Session (12th): September 11 – October 19", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, Oregon Secretary of State, Salem, Oregon, accessed 25 September 2016. Moss did not run for re-election in 1884. "Election Returns", Jacksonville Sentinel, Jacksonville, Oregon, 28 June 1884, p. 2. "Political", An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, Washington, 1905, p. 872.
In 1889, Moss decided to run again for a seat in the legislature. The state had realigned House districts so he ran in District 28 which represented both Lake and Klamath counties. While District 28 represented two counties, Klamath County had just been separated from Lake County so it was essentially the same district Moss had represented in 1882. Once again, he won a seat in the legislature, defeating Republican S. J. Studley, by a vote of 380 to 321. This allowed him to serve in the regular legislative session which opened on January 14, 1889, and lasted through 22 February."Political", An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, Washington, 1905, p. 997."The Oregon Legislature", Evening Capital Journal], Salem, Oregon, 6 December 1888, p. 4."1889 Regular Session (15th): January 14 – February 22", Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide, Oregon Secretary of State, Salem, Oregon, accessed 25 September 2016. During the session, he served on the ways and means and counties committees."House", Daily Capital Journal], Salem, Oregon, 22 January 1889, p. 4. Moss did not run for re-election in 1890.
Politics and business After the 1889 legislative session ended, Governor Sylvester Pennoyer appointed Moss to the Southern Oregon State Board of Agriculture."The Oregon Legislature", Evening Capital Journal], Salem, Oregon, 17 April 1889, p. 4. In the early 1890s, Governor Pennoyer left the Democratic Party and joined the People's Party. Moss made the same move, becoming the leader of the People's Party in Lake County. In 1894, Governor Pennoyer appointed Moss to the position of county judge for Lake County. Two year later, Moss was selected as a People's Party delegate to the state convention."Brief Locals", Corvallis Gazette, Corvallis, Oregon, 12 January 1894, p. 4."Pop State Convention", Daily Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon, 27 March 1896, p. 4.
Eventually, Moss became an advocate for merging the People's Party back into the Democratic Party. In 1898, he joined Doctor Bernard Daly, Lake County's leading Democrat, to host a local convention to merge the two parties at the county level. At the county convention, delegates agreed to maintain separate parties, but to jointly nominate candidate for county positions. The People's Party was allowed to nominate the county judge, clerk, treasurer, and coroner. The Democratic Party was authorized to nominate candidates for commissioner, sheriff, assessor, school superintendent, and surveyor. Moss was also one of six county delegates selected to attend a state convention, planned to negotiate a state level merger of the parties."Pop State Convention", Daily Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon, 19 January 1898, p. 1. In 1898 election, Moss ran for county judge as the Fusion Party (merged Democrat-Peoples party) candidate, but lost to the republican by 100 votes. "Political", An Illustrated History of Central Oregon: Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, Wheeler, Crook, Lake, and Klamath Counties, State of Oregon, Western Historical Publishing Company, Spokane, Washington, 1905, p. 874.
After returning to the Democratic Party, Moss continued to be active in local politics. In 1902, he was chairman of Lake County's Democratic convention and was selected as a delegate to state and national conventions."Democrats Hold Big Love Feast", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 3 April 1902, p. 1. Two years later, he was once again selected as a delegate to state and national Democratic conventions. By that time, he was also a member of the Democratic Party's state central committee in Oregon, a position he retained for a number of years."Lake County Democratic Convention", Morning Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, 14 April 1904, p. 6."Lake County Democratic Convention", Morning Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, 20 April 1904, p. 8."Hold War Council", Morning Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, 8 January 1906, p. 7.
In the meantime, Moss lobbied the state legislature on behalf of Oregon's military veterans who were still owed pensions and back pay. In 1856, volunteers were promised $2 per day, but were only paid 55 cents. As a result, Oregon veterans were owed an average $118 for their service. Moss was a leading advocate for a state appropriation to cover that obligation."Indian War Veterans Ask for Appropriation or Right to Sue", Daily Journal, Salem, Oregon, 21 January 1903, p. 3. Moss also continued to expand his business interest in Lakeview and throughout Lake County. He was on the board of director for the First National Bank of Lakeview and the Lake County Loan and Savings Bank."Bank Officers Re-elected", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 18 January 1906, p. 1."Bank Annual Election", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 16 January 1908, p. 1."Report of Condition of First National Bank of Lakeview", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 12 September 1912, p. 4."Report of Condition of Lake County Loan and Savings Bank", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 12 September 1912, p. 4. In 1910, Moss helped found the Chewaucan Mercantile Company. The purpose of the firm was to conduct general mercantile business in the Paisley area. The company was capitalized with $40,000 from eight shareholders, including Moss. Moss became a company director and was elected vice president of the company's board."New Firm at Paisley", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 9 June 1910, p. 1. He was also an advocate for bringing the Nevada–California–Oregon Railway to Paisley. In 1911, he was one of the Lake County businessmen who hosted railroad executives on a tour of the proposed route."N-C-O Plans Extension", Lake County Examiner, Lakeview, Oregon, 23 May 1912, p. 1.
Later life