Untitled
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 925-926
J. B. MURPHY, one of the prosperous farmers of Marion township, Grant county, enjoys the honor of being chairman of the town board, and was born at Hastings, N.Y., on Jan. 10, 1839, being a son of Arthur and Delia (COTTON) MURPHY, natives of Ireland.
The father came to New York at the age of eighteen, while the mother was brought to this country when but an infant. In 1856 the family came to Grant county, and although the father was a stonemason by trade, he took up land in Woodman township, which he greatly improved, and resided upon the farm until his death, which occurred in 1878, his wife surviving him until 1896. To them were born children as follows: Mary, clerk in the land office at Washington, which position she has held for twenty years; Edward, of Woodman; Caroline, Mrs. BALLINGER, of Bloomington township, Grant county; Kate, of Colorado; Anna, Mrs. LEWIS, of Iowa; Alice, of Bloomington township, this county; Walter, of Bowen county, Iowa; our subject.
J. B. MURPHY was reared in Waukesha county, Wis., and then moved to Iowa county, whence in 1856 he accompanied the family to Woodman, Grant county, later going to Millville, and finally to Marion township, in 1866, where he purchased a farm of 200 acres, now counted as one of the finest pieces of farming property in Grant county. In August, 1861, Mr. MURPHY enlisted in Co. H, 7th Wis. V.I., for three years or during the war. The regiment was mustered in at Madison, Wis., and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, forming part of the famous "Iron Brigade." During his term of service Mr. MURPHY participated in the battles of Gainesville, second battle of Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Wilderness and Petersburg, and also took part in the capture of the Weldon railroad. On account of a gunshot wound, received in the hand, Mr. MURPHY was honorably discharged in September 1864, having served bravely and been promoted to the rank of sergeant.
In 1866 Mr. MURPHY was married, in Fennimore, to Miss Alice GRAHAM, born in Venango county, Penn., daughter of William and Eliza (DIXON) GRAHAM, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Mount Ida township in 1858, opening up a farm, where the mother died in 1879, and the father in 1888. They were prominent pioneers of Mount Ida township, and will long be remembered as representative farmers. Five children have been born to our subject: Lillian, Mrs. SMITH, of Republic, Wash.; Frank, married and resides in Mason City, Iowa; James, of Mason City; Alta and Grace. Mr. MURPHY is an active member of John McDermott Post, G.A.R., No. 101, Boscobel. In political matters, Mr. MURPHY sympathies are with the Democratic party, and he has acceptably served as chairman of Marion township for ten years, prior to the present term. Few men are more popular in Grant county than Mr. MURPHY, and he may well be regarded as one of the leading exponents of the best agricultural interests of the great commonwealth of Wisconsin.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck