W.J. MURPHY
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913, pg 597

Throughout the period of his residence in Arizona, covering 
more than a third of a century, W.J. Murphy has been identified 
with the development of the state in many ways and his labors 
have been of a character that have contributed largely to 
public prosperity as well as to individual success. He was 
born in New Hartford, New York, August 23, 1839, and although 
he has now passed the seventy sixth milestone on life's 
journey he is still to some extent an active factor in 
business life, handling important real estate interests. 
His parents are George A. and Nancy (Allen)Murphy, of 
Scotch-Irish descent although both were born in Ireland. 
It was in the year 1836 that they crossed the Atlantic to 
New York and in the Empire State the father turned his 
attention to farming there, remaining until 1857 when he 
removed westward to Illinois.

W.J. Murphy, after attending the public schools, became a 
student in a normal School at Hopedale, Ohio and for one 
term engaged in teaching but following the outbreak of the 
Civil War his patriotic spirit was aroused and he enlisted 
as a member of Company M, First Illinois Light Artillery, 
in 1862.  He continued at the front until 1865 and was 
second lieutenant of this company, adjutant of the fourth 
corps of the Army of the Cumberland, and adjutant under 
General C.O. Loomis, chief of artillery of the district 
of Tennessee.  Prior to that time he participated in a 
number of hotly contested engagements.

Following the close of the war Mr. Murphy engaged in teaching 
school in Tennessee for a year. He afterward engaged in the 
hardware business in Pontiac, Illinois, conducting his store 
for several years and later became identified with farming, 
with which he was connected for a few years, thus returning 
to the occupation to which he had been reared.  His next 
step was in the field of railroad building, with which he 
was connected in Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico 
and Arizona as a contractor.  The work which he did in that 
connection was of important character and made him largely 
familiar with the southwest and its opportunities.  In 1880 
he came to Arizona and has since resided in this state.  In 
1882 he took up his abode in Salt River Valley and the 
following year built the Arizona Canal. He studied the 
question of water supply and irrigation, worked out various 
methods to meet the demand and his efforts in that direction 
have been of untold value to the state, being the means of 
bringing hundreds of acres under cultivation. He has always 
been interested in ranching, becoming the owner of ten 
thousand acres and his practical experience in that great 
field of work has enabled him to solve many problems 
connected with the improvement of the state.  In his 
professional capacity as contractor and engineer he has 
done considerable work for the Water Users Assc. He also 
built a part of the man line of the Santa Fe Railroad and 
likewise the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad and his labors 
in these connections have constituted an important element 
in the growth and progress of the state. For the past ten 
or fifteen years he has been engaged in the real estate
business, principally handling his own land.  Another 
feature of his life work which indicates his public spirit 
has been the planting of trees along the boulevards 
surrounding Phoenix, covering thirty miles on each side 
of the road.

Mr. Murphy was married to Miss Laura J. Fulweather, of 
Lexington, Illinois. They have two children, Ralph and 
Louise.

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