Grundy County IL Archives Biographies.....Murphey, Jacob H ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 13, 2006, 7:23 pm Author: History of Grundy County, 1914 Murphey, Jacob H., now living retired at Minooka, after a long and useful career both as farmer and hardware merchant, is an excellent example of the substantial Grundy County citizen. He was born in Belmont County, Ohio, September 18, 1830, son of Horatio and Hannah (Beam) Murphey. The father came of Scotch-Irish descent while the mother was born in Ohio of German descent. The parents married and settled at St. Clairsville, Ohio, where the father was a jeweler for many years. In 1854, Jacob H. Murphey and a brother, John Murphey, drove horses from Ohio to Morris. Ill., arriving there in March of that year, and Jacob H. Murphey was so pleased with the locality that he began working for a Mr. Bradshaw on his farm. He intended to thus continue, but sickness interfered with his plans. Afterward, by borrowing money, he began to handle horses, and was so engaged for three years, at which time he married and then rented land in Erienna Township. The owner of the land was glad to remit the amount of the rent for the work Mr. Murphey did in developing the farm, and thus he was able to save money and to buy a farm of his own in 1862. This contained 210 acres, and was the one on which he had worked upon first coming to Grundy County. Of this place 160 acres were on Section 8 and 40 acres on Section 5, and as the land was improved he moved on the property immediately and soon began to add to the buildings. He erected a nice frame residence and commodious outbuildings replacing the original ones of logs, and for years he did a big business in raising horses, cattle and hogs. In the meanwhile, he had rented other land, and on it he carried on general grain farming and stock raising, and still owns his farming land. In 1888 he rented his property and moved to Minooka, where he has a comfortable residence and for eight years was in the hardware business. On October 18, 1859, Mr. Murphey was married to Mary V. Pumphrey, born in Belmont County, Ohio, December 30, 1838, and died April 9, 1875. They had the following children: Laura who was born October 15, 1860, Mrs. Charles Perkins of Kendall County, has three children, Harriett, Alvin and Serena; William H., who was born September 3, 1862, of Joliet. Ill.; and Nettie, who was born January 2, 1874, died July 22, 1877. On January 27, 1876, Mr. Murphey was married (second) to Mrs. Francelia (Curtis) Whittington, born in Whitehall, N. Y., September 23, 1837, widow of Richard Whittington, daughter of Thaddeus and Eunice Maria (Reynolds) Curtis, born in Rutland, Vt. By her first marriage Mrs. Murphey had four children: Charles H., who is deceased; Cyrus H., who was killed while working on a street car line out of Joliet, was married to Ida Thayer, and they had one son, Cyrus Earl; Arthur W., who is of Detroit, Mich. married Ora Smith, and they have four children, Carlton, Velma F., Jerry, and Arthur; and Mary M., who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Murphey. Mr. and Mrs. Murphey became the parents of two children: Fred C., who was born December 27, 1876, now of Klamath Falls, Ore., married Myrta Leach, of Pana, Ill.; and Jessie May, who was born May 10, 1879, died October 27, 1881. Mrs. Murphey came with her mother to Will County, Ill., the latter bringing her five children by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo, and thence on a steamer to Chicago. From that city the little party went to Plainfield by team. Mrs. Curtis died about 1871. Mr. Murphey is a member of the Methodist Church and is active in church work. A Republican, he has held all the township offices, with the exception of supervisor and assessor, and was appointed deputy sheriff at one time. He is a man who has always held the confidence and esteem of his associates, and his standing in the community is undisputed. pages 870-71 Additional Comments: Source: History of Grundy County, Illinois, Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. Publishers; 1914 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/murphey925nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb