James 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 682, 683

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

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


JAMES MURPHY, of whom a portrait appears on another page, is a 
prosperous and popular merchant whose establishment is located at 
Hitchcock, Beadle county, South Dakota. He has built up a business of 
immense value, drawing his patronage from all parts of the county. 

Mr. Murphy is of Irish descent and was born in the state of New York 
July 28, 1860; the second in order of birth of a family of seven 
children born to Daniel and Katherine (Enwright) Murphy. The father was 
a native of County Cork, and the mother a native of County Carey, 
Ireland. The parents now reside in the Empire state. 

During his youth our subject worked on the farm, securing the rudiments 
of an education in the public schools in winter and picking up what 
learning he could during the few leisure moments at other seasons of 
the year. At the age of twenty-two years he went to Dakota, locating at 
Hitchcock, where he took up land, farmed, teamed and worked at odd jobs 
for some time. He then began selling machinery for McCarty Brothers, of 
Hitchcock. In 1885 he started a meat market, and the next year went to 
Bonilla, Beadle county, and opened up a grocery business. After a year 
of business there he removed his stock to Hitchcock. His stock was 
small, but he supplemented it with a business ability of which he 
himself was quite unaware, and immediately began to increase his lines 
of trade in all directions. From that small five-hundred-dollar stock 
he has developed his present enormous business, and is now carrying a 
stock of general supplies not equaled by any other in the county. His 
main building, 80 x 30 feet, is well adapted to his business. The first 
floor is devoted to the dry goods and grocery department, and the 
second story to gents' furnishing goods. In an adjacent building he 
carries a full stock of machinery of all kinds. He also conducts a 
furniture and undertaking establishment. In addition to these 
enterprises he has established an implement business in Redfield, also 
one at Ashton, Spink county, and a stock ranch near Hitchcock. 

Mr. Murphy was married in 1886 to Miss Carrie Gordon, a native of the 
state of New York. To this union two children were born: Cora and 
Harry. Mrs. Carrie Murphy died January 2, 1889, while on a visit to New 
York. Mr. Murphy was married to Mrs. Matie Courtney some years later. 
Mrs. Murphy has one daughter, Genevieve, by her former marriage to Mr. 
Frank Courtney. 

Mr. Murphy is a member of the I. O. O. F., the Modern Woodmen of 
America and of the Presbyterian church. In political faith he is a 
Populist. His success is due to his honest, fair dealing, his ability 
and attention to business. His popularity is coextensive with the 
circle of his acquaintance, as his fairness in business makes a friend 
of every man with whom he deals.