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John Marion Murphy

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John Marion Murphy
1st Santa Clara County Treasurer
In office
1850–1852
6th Mayor of San Jose, California
In office
July 21, 1856 – August 5, 1856
Preceded byLawrence Archer
Succeeded byGeorge Givens
Personal details
Born(1824-06-10)June 10, 1824
Frampton, Quebec, Lower Canada (now Canada)
DiedFebruary 17, 1892(1892-02-17) (aged 67)
San Jose, California, U.S.
Resting placeOak Hill Memorial Park,
San Jose, California, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseVirginia Elizabeth Blackenstoe Reed (m. 1850–)
Children9
Parent
RelativesMartin Murphy Jr. (brother),
Daniel Martin Murphy (brother),
Carl David Maria Weber (brother-in-law)

John Marion Murphy Sr. (June 10, 1824 – February 17, 1892)[1] also known as J. M. Murphy, was a Canadian-born American rancher, businessperson, politician, and an early settler in California.[2] He was a member of the Murphy family and co-founded the mining town of Murphys, California.[3] Murphy active in the early administration of Santa Clara County, California, and held many political and civic roles.

Early life, and migration

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John Marion Murphy was born on June 10, 1824, in Frampton, Quebec, Lower Canada (now Canada), to Irish parents Mary Foley and Martin Murphy Sr.[4][5] He was a middle child in a family of nine children.[6]

In 1840, the Murphy family moved to Atchison County, Missouri to a settlement called Irish Grove.[7] His mother died at Irish Grove, there had been many diseases.[7]

On May 6, 1844, Murphy Sr. and his sons gathered a wagon train to move to Alta California (a territory of First Mexican Empire, and now California, U.S.).[7] They were all a part of the Stephens–Townsend–Murphy Party, led by his father.[7] They were the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada.[8]

California

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During the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), Murphy served as the first lieutenant in the California Battalion (San Jose Volunteers), from November 1846 to February 1847.[9]

After the war John and his younger brother Daniel Martin Murphy earned a living as merchants, but like many others, they began prospecting when the California Gold Rush began.[2][3] Their brother-in-law Carl David Maria Weber (married to sister Helen), had formed the Stockton Mining Company in Placerville, California (formerly known as Hangtown).[8] They started mining work with Weber under his company.[3][8] The brothers eventually decided to go out on their own and moved south.[8][3] In July 1848, the Murphy brothers found gold[10] at what they called "Murphy's Old Diggings" (now Vallecito, California), and later they moved to "Murphy's New Diggings," "Murphy's Camp," and eventually by 1835 it was just Murphys, California.[3] They founded the gold mining settlement, turned town.[11] The Murphy brothers made far more money as merchants than as miners.[12][13] Although some sources state John had abundant wealth from this period of gold mining.[3]

After a few years both brothers moved back to Santa Clara County, California, near their father's Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche. In 1850, Murphy married Virginia Elizabeth Blackenstoe Reed.[14][15][16][4] His wife was the stepdaughter of James F. Reed, and was part of the Donner Party when she was a teenager.[5] Together they had 9 children, of which 3 children lived into adulthood.[17][18]

Murphy was elected in 1850 as the first Treasurer of Santa Clara County, a role he held for two years.[15] In 1856, Murphy served as the Mayor of San Jose, California.[19] In 1861, he was the sheriff of San Jose.[3] He also served as a San Jose City Councilman, and the County Recorder for Santa Clara County.[2] Additionally he was also in the real estate business, and worked in insurance.[17]

Death and legacy

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Murphy died on February 17, 1892, in San Jose, California.[1][15] He was buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park cemetery.

The city of Murphys, California is named after the brothers.[3] A historical marker remembering Murphy was erected by E Clampus Vitus in Murphys, California;[20] and a second one dedicated to the location in which the Murphy brothers pitched a tent was erected in 1977 by Matuca Chapter E.C.V. in Murphys, California.[21]

The Murphys Hotel (formerly the Mitchler Hotel) in Murphys, California was named for the two brothers, and is reportedly haunted.[8][22]

References

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  1. 1 2 "John Marion Murphy Dead". San Francisco Chronicle (Obitaury). February 18, 1892. p. 2. Retrieved November 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Pankey, Marilyn R. (May 28, 2017). "John Marion Murphy". Santa Clara County Biographies. Golden Nugget Library.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Castro, Doris (July 27, 1968). "There Were These Two Irishmen, See..." The Record. p. 34, 57. Retrieved 2025-11-21 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Guinn, James Miller (1904). History of the State of California and Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California. Chapman Publishing Company. p. 1314.
  5. 1 2 "John M. Murphy". Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World, or Santa Clara County, California. Chicago, IL: The Lewis Publishing Co. 1888. p. 56 – via Internet Archive.
  6. ↑ Circa: Historic Property Development, San Francisco (October 2006). "Historic Context Statement for the City of Morgan Hill". pp. 25–26. Archived from the original on November 7, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Death of Notable California Pioneer". Appeal-Democrat. March 29, 1865. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Lea, Ralph; Kennedy, Christi (October 1, 2004). "Pioneering brothers: Murphys struck gold and built town". Lodi News-Sentinel.
  9. ↑ "Mexican War Veterans, M-Z". Calaveras Heritage Council. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Murphy, John Marion: 1st Lt., San Jose Volunteers, November 1846-February 1847; b. Canada, 1824 (brother of Daniel); d. February 19, 1892, San Jose; buried San Jose (Oak Hill Memorial Park) [Photos – Portrait and Gravesite]
  10. ↑ Marvin, Judith (January 2003). "Murphys". Calaveras Heritage Council. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  11. ↑ Morgan, Neil (September 11, 1976). "Murphys is real gold country treasure". The Peninsula Times Tribune. p. 48. Retrieved November 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Pioneering Murphy Family Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  13. ↑ Woodman, Katharina. "The Murphy Story". Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Virginia Reed Murphy Obituary". The Californian (obituary). February 18, 1921. p. 8. Retrieved November 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 3 "Obituary". The San Francisco Call Bulletin. February 19, 1892. p. 1. Retrieved November 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Murphy, Virginia Reed; McGlashan, C. F. (Charles Fayette) (May 2025). Across the Plains in the Donner Party & History Of The Donner Party Omnibus Edition: "California's Darkest Winter: True Stories of Hope, Despair, and Survival in the Donner Party Disaster". Capital Books Press. ISBN 978-1-967659-04-3.
  17. 1 2 Toole, Donna (2016). "Santa Clara County Biographies: Mrs. Virginia Reed Murphy". Golden Nugget Library.
  18. ↑ "Virginia Reed Murphy". Cheryl Anne Stapp. March 31, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  19. ↑ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Murphy, J." politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  20. ↑ "John Murphy Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Murphy Brothers Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  22. ↑ Ferrell, Jamie (October 14, 2025). "This Small CA Gold Rush Town Is Known As The 'Queen Of The Sierra' — Famous For A Haunted Hotel That Once Hosted Mark Twain". Secret San Francisco.
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