The Murphy Families of Berrien County, Michigan

JOHN J. MURPHY. This honored citizen of Berrien county is one of its sturdy pioneers and native sons, his birth occurring in Berrien township on the 30th of March, 1 84 1, the fifth of the thirteen children born to Isaac and Eliza (Jenkins) Murphy. The father, a native of Virginia, was taken by his parents to Ohio when only four years old, and when he reached the age of twenty-one years he took up his above in Cass county, Michigan, but a short time afterward removed to Berrien township, Berrien county. While living in Cass county he was married. He was born in 181 1, and his death occurred in February, 1893, at which time there passed away one of the honored old pioneers of Berrien county. For several years after the organization of the township of Berrien he served as its constable. He was ever found loyal to the cause of right and truth, and his influence was used for the good and well being of those in any way associated with him. His wife, who was born in 181 5, also died in 1893.

John J. Murphy received his early educational training in the old log school houses of Berrien township, and with the exception of ten years spent in Sodus township his entire life has been passed within the borders of Berrien. In 1862 he was married to Nettie Snow, and to them were born four sons: Chester, of Dowagiac, Michigan; Claire, of Berrien Center; Miles L, a resident of Berrien township, Berrien county; and John Merle, also of Dowagiac. The wife and mother passed away in 1876, and the father afterward married her sister, Ellen Snow but no children were born of that union. Mr. Murphy continued as an agriculturist until 1893, when he embarked in the real estate business, but he still owns one hundred acres of rich and well improved land in Berrien township. He has given a life-long support to the Republican party, and for six years in Sodus township served as highway commissioner, and for four years was drain commissioner in Berrien township. For twenty-eight years he has ' been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and for many years was a member of the Grange.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ERASTUS MURPHY, a prominent farmer and old settler, residing on section 16, Berrien township, was born on section 15 of the same township, July 18, 1842. He represents an old family from the south. His father, Isaac Murphy, was a native of Hardin county, Virginia, and was reared in Greene county, Ohio, going there with his mother when a little lad of six years. On coming to Michigan he settled on Pokagon Prairie in Cass county when it was still largely a wild and undeveloped region. He remained there for only a short period, however, when he located in Berrien township, Berrien county, establishing his home on section 16, where he entered land from the government. He improved this place and was engaged in farming during his entire life transforming the wild and uncultivated tract into richly improved fields. He married Miss Eliza Jenkins, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Baldwin Jenkins, one of the pioneer settlers of Cass county, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac

Murphy became the parents of thirteen children, but only seven reached adult age.

Erastus Murphy is the second of the living children, and was reared in Berrien township, where he has resided continuously save for a brief period of two years spent in Galien township. He pursued his education in log schoolhouses common at that early day, where he mastered the elementary branches of English learning. The duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields claimed his attention in his youth, and he remained at home until his marriage, which important event in his life was celebrated on the 19th of April, 1866, Miss Mary Johnson becoming his wife. She was a daughter of John and Anna (Lybrook) Johnson, who were natives of Virginia, and after residing for some time in Ohio became early residents of Berrien county, Michigan. Mrs. Murphy was also born in Berrien township and was the sixth of eight children, five daughters and three sons. Unto our subject and his wife have been born six children: Ada, now the wife of W. H. Patterson, of Berrien Springs; Henry C, a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, being secretary and bookkeeper for the E. H. Eldredge Lumber Company; Lena A., the wife of Frank W. Miller, of South Boardman, Michigan; Myron E., who operates the home farm; Sylvia M., the wife of V. J. Blanchard, of Berrien Center; and Cordelia, the wife of John A. Walter, of Silver Lake, Indiana.

Following his marriage Mr. Murphy continued to reside upon the old homestead until about 1875, when he located on the farm where he now resides. He has made all of the improvements here, building the house and barns and clearing the land. He has now lived here for almost a third of a century and has carried on his farming with good results. He owns eighty acres in the farm upon which he resides and forty acres of the old homestead. He has also frequently been called upon to settle states, a fact which indicates the confidence and trust reposed in his business integrity and capability. In politics he is a stanch and unfaltering Republican, active in the work of his party. He was elected supervisor in 1900 and again in 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905, serving in all for five years. He has been justice of the peace for sixteen years, his decisions being strictly fair and impartial, so that he has *'won golden opinions from all sorts of people." He has been township clerk for three years and served for four years as township treasurer and the various official duties that have devolved upon him have always been promptly and faithfully performed. He belongs to the Grange and to the Odd Fellows lodge at Berrien Center. For fourteen years he served as school director and has always taken an active part in educational affairs and in public interests relating to the general good. He has been a life-long resident of the county and has been actively, honorably and helpfully associated with its development.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HARVEY R. MURPHY, who is now living a retired life on his pleasant farm in section 14, Berrien township, was born in Licking county, Ohio, February 27, 1822, a son of William Murphy, a native of Hardy county. West Virginia. After the death of his father William Murphy moved the family to Ross county, Ohio, and later to Licking county, that state, where he was married to Nancy Rogers, a native of Pennsylvania. After their marriage they removed to Delaware county, Indiana, in 1836, but about 1842 returned to Ohio and in 1850 came to Michigan, establishing their home in the then woods of Berrien township, Berrien county. There the father passed away in death when he had reached the age of eighty-one years, his wife having preceded him to the home beyond, dying when seventy-seven years of age. Of the eight children born to them, seven sons and one daughter, only two are now living, Harvey R. and his brother Dr. J. M. Murphy.

Harvey R. Murphy, whose name introduces this review, came wath his parents to Michigan in 1850, and about three years after his arrival here took up his above on the farm where he now lives. He was a carpenter by trade, and his first house in this county was a little one-story house in the woods, sixteen by sixteen feet. To establish a home amid such surroundings and to cope with the many privations and hardships which were the inevitable concomitants, demanded an invincible courage and fortitude, strong hearts and willing hands. All those were characteristics of the pioneers, whose names and deeds should be held in perpetual reverence by those who enjoy the fruits of their toil. In the work of growth and upbuilding Mr. Murphy has ever borne his part, has been honorable in business, loyal in friendship, faithful in citizenship, and now in his declining years he can look back over the past with little occasion for regret.

In Licking county, Ohio, in 1847, Mr. Murphy was united in marriage to Laura Buckland, a daughter of William and Anna (Lewis) Buckland natives of Vermont. Mrs. Murphy, the third daughter and sixth child of their seven children, four sons and three daughters, was born in Licking county, Ohio, August II, 1828, and was reared and educated in her native place. Three children were born to bless this union: Charles, who was born in Ohio, and died in Berrien township, Berrien county, in November, 1905. He married Emma Pembrook, and they had one son, Alvah L. Emma is the wife of Isaac M. Smith, whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. William H., born May 24, 1860, in Berrien township, was married March 23, 1884, to Agnes E. Ober, a daughter of David and Barbara (Brunner) Ober, and they have one child, Eda R. Mr. Murphy v/fi-i>ni-> gives his political support to the Democratic party, his first presidential vote having been cast for James K. Polk, and he has been honored by his party with many political offices, having served as township treasurer for six years, was justice of the peace for four years, and was supervisor of Berrien township one year. Hei is a member of the Berrien Center Baptist church, of which he was one of the first trustees, holding that position for forty-two years, while for forty years he was secretary of the church, for many years was its treasurer and he is now trustee.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

DR. J. M. MURPHY, a veterinary surgeon and one of the prominent early pioneers of Berrien county, was born in Licking county, Ohio, September 29, 1828. His father, WilHam Murphy, was a native of Maryland, born near the Virgina border line, and was about fourteen years of age when he removed with his parents to Xenia, Ohio, and thence to Licking county, that state, where he was married to Nancy Rogers, a native of Virginia, her parents coming from Scotland. After their marriage the young couple took up their above in Henry county, Indiana, near Muncie, returning thence to Licking county, Ohio, and in 1850 came to Berrien township, Berrien county, Michigan, where they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying at the age of eighty years, while the mother passed away when seventy-seven years of age. In their family were seven children, but one daughter died at the age of about six years, while four grew to years of maturity and two are now living, the brother of our subject being Harvey Murphy, who is now in his eighty-fourth year and a resident of Berrien county. He was married in Licking county, Ohio, and accompanied his parents on their removal to this county.

Dr. Murphy, their fourth child in order of birth, remained in his native place until about nineteen years of age, and was the first of the family to come to Berrien county, dating his arrival here in 1847, when he was a boy of nineteen years. He immediately took up his above in Berrien township and immediately began the task of clearing from its virgin wildness a farm one mile east of where he now lives, there directing his labors until 1886. In that year he located on his present homestead in Berrien Center. When but a boy Mr. Murphy began practicing veterinary surgery, which he afterward continued in connection with his agricultural pursuits, but during the last seventeen years he has given almost his entire attention to the profession and is will known in this and surrounding counties as a skillful veterinary surgeon.

The marriage of Dr. Murphy was celebrated in Ohio, in 1851, when Julia Kibler became his wife, she being a native of the same county as her husband, and they have three children, James Edward, Frank Eugene and Rosa. The sons are farmers of Berrien township, and the daughter is the wife of John H. Crall, of Indianapolis, Indiana. For fifty-eight years Dr. Murphy has made his home within the borders of ' Berrien county, in that time witnessing much of its growth and development, and he has long been recognized as one of its most valued citizens. He has given his political support to the Democratic party, and as its representative has served as constable and as school inspector. The Doctor has a remarkable record in that he has never used tobacco in any form, nor has ever taken a drink at the bar, this being a record scarcely equaled by any other man in the county. His homestead farm consists of about seventy-six acres, three of which are located within the corporate limits of Berrien Center, and he has also given one of his sons a farm of fifty-one acres.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

M. T. MURPHY, superintendent of the extensive plant of Cooper, Wells & Company, the leading productive industry of St. Joseph, is a native of New Hampton, New Hampshire, born December 25, 1852. His parents, Dennis and Mary (Harrington) Murphy, were both natives of the County of Cork, Ireland, and came to the United States in 1847, settling in Boston, Massachusetts, whence they later removed to New Hampshire. The father died in Andover, that state, when about forty-four years of age, and the mother's death occurred there-when she was fifty-one years of age.

M. T. Murphy acquired a common-school education in the schools of Lake village, New Hampshire, but has been dependent upon his own resources for his own living from a very early age. When a lad of only eight summers he began work in the hosiery mills of John Pepper, at Lake village, and subsequently was employed by Thomas Appleton in the same town. He applied himself thoroughly to the mastery of the work assigned him, and, having learned the business in these two mills, in 1870, he entered the employ of John C. Moulton, of Laconia, New Hampshire, as superintendent of the Guilford Hosiery Company. There he remained until 1876, after which he was in the employ of Frank P. Halt of the same town as superintendent from 1876 until 1882, when he went to Canada and built the plant of the St. Hyacinthe-Abel Hosiery Company, at St. Hyacinthe, Canada. Upon the death of Mr. Abel the name was changed to the Granite Mills, and Mr. Murphy was a charter member of the company owning this enterprise. He was also a stockholder and general manager from 1882 until 1896, and from the latter year until 1901 he was connected with several hosiery mills. In 1 90 1 he came to St. Joseph and has since been superintendent for Cooper, Wells & Company. His identification with the manufacture of underwear and hosiery dates continuously from 1870, and his long and varied experience well qualities him for the discharge of the onerous duties which involve upon him in his present connection.

In 1870 Mr. Murphy was married to Miss Margaret Cochran, of Newport, Vermont, who died in 1880, leaving three children. David; Ella, now the wife of A. W. Duber, superintendent of the Inter Colonial Railway, of Canada; and John M., who died in St. Hyacinthe, Canada, June 5, 1883. On the I St of May, 1883, Mr. Murphy was united in marriage to Miss Albena La Vigne, of St. Hyacinthe.

In his political views a Republican, Mr. Murphy has never sought or desired the emoluments of office as a reward for party fealty. His energies have been concentrated along the lines in which he embarked as a young tradesman and he is one of the leading men in this department of manufacturing activity in the country, recognized as authority on anything connected with the co-operative department of the business. His marked activity and enterprise have gained for him the prominent position which he has now filled for five years.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.