Lander County
Michael J. Murphy
Biography
(Transcribed by Andaleen Whitney)
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Nevada Genealogy Trails Lander County Michael J. Murphy Biography (Transcribed by Andaleen Whitney) |
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MICHAEL J. MURPHY. The subject of this sketch was deputy sheriff of Lander county for three years prior to 1903. At the general election of 1902 he was elected the sheriff of the county against one of the most popular men in the county and has filled the office with marked ability and full satisfaction to his constituency. He is well known throughout the state in various capacities. He first developed his ability as a peace officer in his capacity as cowboy on ranches on the Humboldt river, where he became an accomplished horseman, rider, roper and camper, and where he had the most abundant opportunity to study the traits and character of all kinds of men from almost every country, and where he became largely acquainted with the most approved methods of moving quickly and adapting himself to conditions that surround one often in the western states. Mr. Murphy is the son of Michael Murphy, deceased, of Sacramento, California, and of Mary (Sullivan) Murphy, both parents having been born in county Cork, Ireland, whence they emigrated to Kentucky and afterward meeting in Sacramento were married there. Grandfather John Murphy and his family had also emigrated to Kentucky, and in 1853, in company with the late George W. Crum, of Battle Mountain, from Cincinnati, Ohio, crossed the plains to California, bringing their Kentucky horses Michael sold his first team to Leland Stanford and engaged in farming and stock-raising near Sacramento. Grandfather Murphy was one of the owners of the old half-mile race course at San Francisco, which is still recalled by the old pioneers. Sheriff Murphy's father died in Sacramento at the age of fifty-eight, and his mother at the age of forty-two in San Francisco. Sheriff Murphy was born at Lexington, Kentucky, August 1, 1870, and at the age of two years came to California by wagon, this being his father's third trip to Kentucky. He received his education at Santa Clara College. After his education was completed, he for a while kept books for an uncle, John W. Murphy, who kept a livery stable in San Francisco; then came to Nevada and for several years was in the employ of R. Farrell, superintendent of the Dunphy estate, as foreman. On August 15, 1901, Mr. Murphy was married to Miss Kathrine Laughlin, at the residence of her mother in Austin, in the presence of a large circle of friends. The bride was and is one of the most popular ladies in Austin, having resided here from her infancy, being a native of the state of New York. She is an excellent musician, taught in the public schools of Lander with marked ability, a stanch friend, an excellent neighbor, and a natural born arid educated leader in all work with which she becomes interested, and is kind and charitable to a fault. The sheriff is a life-long Democrat, a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is at present the master workman of Hope Lodge No. 11, of Austin.
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