Bio of Murray, William R. (b.1839) Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Murray, William R., implement dealer, Lake City, is one of the early
residents of Minnesota, having come in 1853 to Winona. He was born at Ann
Arbor, Michigan, in 1839. Philander and Harriet Murray, his parents were
natives of Genesee county, New York. The family is of Scotch origin, many
generations ago. Orrin Murray, the grandfather of this subject, was born
and reared in New York. The parents of W. R. Murray died when he was a
child, and he came west, as above related, in the care of an elder
brother, Erastus H. The latter bought and finished the Winona House, and
his sign was the first ever hung out in Winona. In 1860 our subject went
to Rochester, where he dealt in agricultural machinery till 1870. At this
time he became owner of a custom-mill at Frontenac. He shortly sold out
and traveled as collector for a wholesale machinery house three years. In
1875 he opened a grocery store at Lake City, and next year went into his
present business with a partner. In 1878 G. R. Bartron became a partner in
the business, and the firm is doing an excellent business. Mr. Murray has
been twice elected alderman of Lake City, and was elected in 1876 to the
state legislature. February 7, 1870, he led to the altar Miss S. Emma
Gates, a sketch of whose parents appears elsewhere in this volume. Two
children have blessed this union, aged at present as here noted: Sarah,
twelve, and Edith, six years. While in Rochester, Mr. Murray was initiated
into the Masonic order and still retains connection with the lodge there.
Mrs. Murray is a communicant in the Episcopal church, and her husband's
faith is in sympathy with hers.