Murray, James

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• Reference Number: 2457
• Biography: 1911; History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin Page 0906

Notes:

Biography:
JAMES MURRAY, who was born August 16, 1846, in County Armagh, Ireland, and is now living on 160 acres of farming land situated in sections 15, 16 and 10, Maple Creek township, is one of Outagamie county's good, practical agriculturists. His parents, John and Mary Murray, emigrated to Canada about 1853, and there spent the remainder of their lives. Of their family of twelve children, James Murray was the youngest, and at the age of sixteen years he learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed in the Dominion until the fall of 1865. At this time he came to New London, Wisconsin, where he worked at his trade for upwards of twenty years, and in 1887 moved to the property on which he now resides, which at that time consisted of 120 acres, part of which he had purchased in 1875 and part in 1882. There had been a few improvements made on this property, including some acres cleared and a log cabin built, and since that time Mr. Murray has added forty acres, and has 130 acres of his land under cultivation, and his land entirely fenced with barbed wire. He built a barn 30x30 feet in 1889, and in 1892 erected another 30x64 feet, while three years later he put up his residence of eleven rooms. In addition, he has erected a number of other buildings for the shelter of stock, grain and machinery, and has two flowing wells of pure water, which provides an ample supply the year around. Mr. Murray is engaged in farming and stock raising, markets dairy products, hogs and cattle, and feeds his hay and grain. He has mixed breeds of cattle of high grade, full-blooded Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses. In 1868 Mr. Murray was married to Miss Margaret Heffernan, born in March, 1846, the youngest of the three children of James and Ann (Hennebery) Heffernan, natives of Ireland who emigrated to Canada about 1853. Mr. Heffernan died in New London, while living with Mr. and Mrs. Murray, while his wife passed away in Detroit, Michigan, while at the home of her daughter. Mrs. Murray died July 8, 1908,.having been the mother of eight children. The eldest, Mary Ann, died in childhood; Edward J. married and living in Waupaca county, has five children; Elizabeth J. married J. H. Conroy and lives in Waupaca county; William B. married and living in Ashland, Wisconsin, having one child; John J. is married and lives in the State of Washington, having two children; Charles A. is married and lives in Deer Creek township, having four children; Ellen T. married Hugh Carew, and lives in Waupaca county, the mother of three children; and Francis T. is married and lives in Maple Creek township, having four children. Mr. Murray is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to New London Lodge No. 131 and to Royal Arch Chapter No. 62, New London. He is a Democrat in politics, served as town clerk five years, was twenty years school clerk, served as the first alderman of the Fourth Ward of New London when the city was incorporated, continuing in the office five years, and during 1883 and 1884 was mayor of the city. He and his family are members of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Welcome, Wsconsin.

James married Heffernan, Margaret 17 Jun 1868. Margaret was born 14 Mar 1846, , , , Ireland; died 8 Jul 1908. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 2457