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 who raised livestock, and 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 between what are now Moulton and Shiner. In 1887, the Moore brothers granted right-of-way across their land to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad, a townsite was platted, and Moulton was established. The Moore Hotel was built in 1888 east of the railroad depot to accommodate travelers. The 32-room hotel included a large room for traveling salesmen to display their wares, and its dining room and parlor became a gathering place and social center for the area. In 1890, the hotel was sold to Christian Kotzbue, who added 10 more guest rooms and a wine cellar. The Kotzbue family operated the hotel for several decades before it gradually went out of business and was razed in 1940. A grocery store built in its place was converted into a cafe in 1942.