March 30, 1822 to March 19, 1909
William Moore was born in Hanover, Germany. By age seven, he was sailing schooners on the North Sea.
He arrived in San Francisco in 1851, too late to benefit from the California Gold Rush. He left San Francsico on the brig Tepic following gold North. He returned to San Francisco briefly, left for South America, and returned again in 1856 when he bought land on Goat Island (now referred to Yerba Buena Island), halfway between San Francisco and Oakland. There he raised goats until 1858 when he again followed gold, this time to British Columbia where he made his home.
By 1886, both logging and the goats had cleared Goat Island. Spurred on by a campaign led by poet Joaquin Miller, California celebrated its first Arbor Day on November 27, 1886, by replanting Goat Island. The trees there today are the result of this effort.