Joseph H. Murphy Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 747-748

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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JOSEPH H. MURPHY is one of McCook county's well-to-do and enterprising 
farmers who is cultivating a large tract of land in Greenland township, 
where he has made his home and base of operations ever since coming to 
South Dakota in the year 1892. He is a native of Ireland, where he was 
born in the year 1863, one of a family of seven children, six sons and 
one daughter. His father, who was also Irish, was an officer in the 
English army, and the mother was of Welsh parentage and birth. In 1869, 
the family migrated to America, landing in New York, and went from 
there to Lansing, Iowa, and made that their home until the father met 
his death by an accident. 

Our subject attended the public schools of Lansing until he reached the 
age of thirteen years and then, like many boys whose parents are well 
off, he left the parental roof and entered the battle of life on his 
own responsibility. For two years he worked on a farm and attended 
school during the winters. Next he obtained employment on public 
buildings and here he still had opportunity of attending the public 
schools a part of the time. His next position was that of brakeman on 
the railroad, and within two years from the time he began work, he had 
attained the position of freight conductor and continued in this 
capacity for five years. In December, 1886, Mr. Murphy met with a very 
serious accident, falling under the cars and one truck ran over his 
limbs, crushing them badly. On the account of this, he was laid up for 
nearly a year, and when he was again able to resume his work, he was 
put in charge of a passenger train, which position he held for two 
years. Mr. Murphy has had his share of exciting experiences on the 
railroad, one of which we will note on account of its unusual 
character. The train was running at about twenty-five miles and was 
"bucking" snow when it ran into an open switch, but no one was even 
injured. His work on the railroad carried him into the states of Iowa, 
Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and when he quit that line of work he 
went to St. Paul and secured work in the St. Paul and Duluth switch 
yards. 

In 1892, as has been before stated, Mr. Murphy moved to McCook county. 
South Dakota, and purchased the southeast quarter of section 25, 
Greenland township, and since then has devoted his attention to the 
improvement and cultivation of this tract of land and the two farms 
owned by his mother-in-law. He invested about one thousand dollars in 
the property he purchased, and from it he has realized a comfortable 
living besides a slight increase in capital. He has devoted his 
attention to general farming, making wheat, oats, hogs and a few sheep 
and cattle his principal farm products, and has kept his farm well 
improved, and has now about three hundred and forty acres under 
cultivation. Politically, our subject formerly affiliated with the 
Republican party, but now ardently supports the People's party. He is a 
member of the Catholic church, and of the Masonic fraternity. Mrs. 
Murphy, the estimable lady who has charge of the household affairs of 
the subject of our sketch, bore the maiden name of Miss Annie Maloy. 
She was born in Minnesota, of Irish parents, and was united in marriage 
to Mr. Murphy in March, 1889. To this union have been born four 
children, upon whom they have seen fit to bestow the following names: 
William Francis, Harry Edward, George Chauncey and Joseph Clyde.