Series 45 - Murphy family biographical sketch

10pp

Kerby A. Miller's notes on materials held in the Murphy family papers at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, including Alfred Bates’ ‘Biographical sketch of the Murphy Family’ and a dictation given by B.D. Murphy.
The Murphy family history follows an Irish Catholic family whose migration, landholding, and public influence stretched from County Wexford to Canada, Missouri, and California. Martin Murphy, born in 1785, moved his family from Ireland to Frampton, Quebec, in 1820, where he established an Irish settlement. Poor soil and a harsh climate prompted the family’s move to Missouri in 1841–42. Although the land there was fertile, malaria, bereavement, and limited religious and educational opportunities led them to seek a new life in California.
In 1844, Martin Murphy Sr. led the Murphy Party west with 13 wagons. The group became the first to follow the future transcontinental railroad route and to cross the Sierra Nevada by the Truckee and Bear River routes. Despite severe winter conditions, the party reached California safely by March 1845.
Martin Sr. prospered as a stock raiser near Mission San Jose. His son, Martin Jr., acquired land on the Cosumnes River, grew early Sacramento Valley wheat, and hosted activities associated with the Bear Flag Republic. Gold-rush demand enabled him to build a large fortune through ranching, real estate, and land purchases. The family supported Catholic institutions, especially Santa Clara College, gave generously to charity, and remained politically active. Martin Jr. died in 1885 owning about 90,000 acres; his son Bernard became San Jose mayor, legislator, banker, and landowner.