Simon J. Murphy Sr.

Simon Jones Murphy Sr. (April 2, 1815, Windsor, Maine – February 5, 1905 [1]) was an American businessman.

Murphy was born in Windsor, Maine and was a lumberman there, beginning as a logger on the Penobscot River and working his way up. In 1866, he moved to Michigan and worked in lumber there as well.[1][2]

Operating out of Detroit, his company logged thousands of acres of Michigan pine forests.[1] Murphy was one of the first millionaires in Detroit.

In 1887, Murphy began wintering in Whittier, California after purchasing the Ramirez Rancho. While there, he was an irrigator, citrus farmer, oilman, and real estate developer.

He was founder of both the East Whittier Land and Water Company and the Murphy Oil Company, which drilled for oil in the Puente Hills.[3]

Murphy was an early benefactor of Whittier College. A hospital in Whittier bore his name, as does the neighborhood of Murphy Ranch, which was built on Murphy's citrus orchard.

In 1905, Murphy completed the process of gaining control of the Pacific Lumber Company, which, under Murphy's control and stewardship, would become a storied and one of the largest Coast Redwood lumber and milling operations to ever exist. At least five generations of Murphys, including Simon's son Simon Murphy Jr, Grandson Albert Stanwood Murphy, Great Grandson Stanwood Albert Murphy, and then Great great Grandson Warren Murphy managed and controlled[2] with main offices and the bulk of its massive log decks and milling operations in the historic company town of Scotia, California through 1985.[4]

Murphy and his company built several buildings in the Detroit Financial District. These include the Marquette Building, the Murphy Power Building, and the first Penobscot Building

A memorial commemorating Murphy exists in the second Penobscot Building.

Family

In September 1845, Murphy married Ann Montgomery Dorr (May 21, 1828, Bradley, Maine-May 30, 1903, Detroit). Ann was the daughter of Charles M. and Ann (Morse) Dorr of Bradley and Milford, ME.

Simon and Ann Murphy had 12 children, of which five sons and a daughter survived infancy:

  • Charles Edmund (1846 – 1929) took over Murphy's real estate developments
  • Simon Jones (1851 – 1926) a lumberman and became mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.[2]
  • Albert Montgomery (1852 – 1915)
  • William Herbert (1855 – 1929) went into business making car bodies for luxury cars
  • Annie Dorr (1857 – 1917)
  • Frank Emery (1862 – 1934) also lumberman, and four terms alderman of Green Bay WI

References
  1. "Marquette Building". Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  2. "History of the Bell Place". Archived from the original on 2016-06-23.
  3. "Los Angeles Revisited: Murphy Ranch, Whittier, Cal". August 11, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
  4. "What if Warren Murphy had won the battle for Pacific Lumber Co.?". July 20, 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
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