BIO: Alexander MURRAY, Clearfield County, PA
 
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From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania,
and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr.,
Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 772 & 773.
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  ALEXANDER MURRAY, deceased.  For many years Alexander Murray was an honored 
and respected citizen of Girard township, Clearfield county, where he had 
acquired a competence through the industry and prudence which had marked his way 
from early youth.  He was born in Shaver's Creek Valley, Huntingdon county, Pa., 
and in youth was brought to Clearfield county by his parents, who were John and 
Mary Murray, of Scotch ancestry.
  Alexander Murray was eleven years old when his father died, in January, 1824, 
leaving the mother with a family of young children to care for, all of them, 
except himself and the two youngest girls, with no provision made for them, 
except such as she could secure for herself.  She could weave the cloth for her 
children's clothing, and possibly she may have been able to sell a small portion 
to others, but their whole living had to be made out of the wild land, very 
little of which had as yet been cleared or put under cultivation.  In later 
years Mr. Murray was frequently heard to speak of the industry, patience, 
fortitude and endurance of this admirable mother.  She survived to see her son 
in comfortable circumstances, her death taking place in April, 1871.
  Alexander Murray had no educational advantages, but he was naturally apt, and 
soon acquired enough knowledge to enable him to transact business properly.  By 
the time he was fifteen years of age he was busy at different things - farming, 
lumbering and teaming - and when twenty years old he did the first piece of work 
for himself, which was the construction of one mile of the old Milesburg and 
Smithport turnpike road.  When he received his pay for the latter - fifty 
dollars in cash and an order for forty-five dollars more - he doubtless felt 
rich, although the order was never cashed, as the company had become insolvent.  
He engaged in lumbering and cleared and cultivated his land as he was able and 
finally paid for it.  He was a typical pioneer, honest and upright, but careful 
and shrewd in his business transactions.  He was widely known and was held in 
honor and esteem by all.
  Mr. Murray was married February 23, 1842, to Miss Isabella Meek Holt, of 
Bradford township, and they had nine children, six of whom reached maturity.  
The mother of these children died October 1, 1879.  On January 19, 1882, Mr. 
Murray married for his second wife Mrs. Ermina J. Spackman, who died in 1885.  
Mr. Murray survived her for four years, his death taking place April 6, 1889.  
His mother and her people were Presbyterians, but he united with the Methodist 
Episcopal church in 1856, and continued a faithful and official member and the 
principal supporter of that church in his community until his death.  He was the 
father of Thomas H. Murray, of Clearfield, Pa.