Untitled From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 900 - 901

JAMES W. MURPHY, an eminent attorney at law of Platteville, Grant county, is a native of this city, was born in April, 1858, and is the only survivor of the six children born to William and Catherine (O'SULLIVAN) MURPHY, the former of whom was born in Adrigole, County Cork, Ireland, January 15, 1824, and the latter in Kenmare, County Kerry.

Dennis MURPHY, father of William MURHY, and grandfather of James W., came to the United Sates in 1839, accompanied by his daughter Mary, the eldest of his children, his destination being Dubuque, Iowa, where a married sister had resided since 1834. On arrival at the port of New Orleans, Dennis and his daughter were attacked with yellow fever, to which the former succumbed, but the daughter recovered and reached Dubuque in safety, but later came to Platteville, Wis., where she was married to the late David GARDNER, whom she survived several years, expiring in 1894, at the age of seventy-two years.

The principal occupation of William MURPHY in Ireland was farming, but for a time he was employed as bookkeeper and clerk on the board of public works at his native town, where he married Miss O'SULLIVAN in 1849. In 1853 he and wife came to America, tarried a few months in Ulster county, N.Y., and the same year came to Platteville, Wis., arriving at the home of his sister, Mrs. Mary GARDNER, on what was then known as "Irish Hill." A brother, James, had preceded him to Platteville, and was mining here when the Mexican war opened, for which he at once enlisted, serving until its close and dying shortly afterward.

William MURPHY first went to housekeeping in Platteville in a house that had been previously used for hotel purposes and was known as the "Braley House," now occupied by N. HENNING. For a short time he worked in Mr. AVERY's brickyard and next at various employments, principally mining, and it may be said that in this he was very successful, having taken out, with sundry partners, nearly one and a half million pounds of lead ore; in company with Mr. HENNING he discovered and worked the lead bearing their names, on the lands of Dr. DAVIS, south of town, taking out nearly 700,000 pounds. In company with John STEPHENS, Mr. MURPHY discovered and worked the lead bearing their names, on land owned by himself adjoining that of the former. In 1857, accompanied by a miner from Potosi, he went on a prospecting tour through the townships of Mount Hope and Woodman, Grant county, and discovered lead ore at different points, but the country was sparsely settled and transportation difficult, and they abandoned the intention of developing their "finds." Mr. MURPHY is still of opinion that valuable mines will yet be developed in that region, and in this opinion he is sustained by many old mines and by the legend of the last mine worked in the territory by Spaniards, and which is now known positively to be situated there, the secret of its location be guarded by parties who are awaiting a favorable opportunity to develop it.

In 1859 Mr. MURPHY purchased the lot at the corner of Elm and Cedar streets, on which the residence of H. M. GRIBBEE now stands, the lot being then covered with heavy timber. Cedar street was then practically the north line of the village, there being but few houses beyond it in that direction. Mr. MURPHY had lived for a short time in the old frame house now called the Shoneback place, near the Roundtree branch, on the Cheever Mill road, but on acquiring the corner lot mentioned, he cleared off the timber, with which he erected the log house which was his home until 1866.

James W. MURPHY was graduated from the State Normal School of Platteville with the class of 1873, and holds the record today as the youngest graduate of the State Normal School in Wisconsin. For five years he was a teacher in Grant county. He studied law with A. W. BELL, of Platteville, was admitted to the Bar in 1879, and then attended the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated with the class of 1880. In 1886 he was elected district attorney of Grant county, and filled the position for four years. He has practiced law at Platteville since April, 1880. In January, 1881, he formed a copartnership with A. W. BELL, under the firm name of BELL & MURPHY, which continued until July 1882. From this time until January, 1887, he practiced alone, and then formed a copartnerhsip with D. J. GARDNER, under the firm name of MURPHY & GARDNER, this relationship continuing until 1895, since which time he has practiced alone.

In 1881 Mr. MURPHY was joined in marriage with Miss Elizabeth JONES, daughter of John W. and Catharine JONES prominent residents of Lafayette county, Wis., where she was born in 1860. To this marriage have been born five children, four of whom are living: Catharine M., Lyola, John W., and Bessie. Mary Agnes, the youngest child died in infancy. The family are all members of the Catholic Church. In politics Mr. MURPHY was identified with the Republican party until 1896, when his views of the financial issues of the day brought him into the William J. Bryan fold.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck