Murphy, William J. (William John), 1839-1923

William John Murphy, contractor and land developer, was born in New Hartford, New York on August 23, 1839. He was the second son of George Alexander and Nancy (Allen) Murphy of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He attended the public schools in Ohio and then moved with his parents first to Chicago and then to Pontiac, Illinois. He served in the Union army under General Sherman at the Battle of Atlanta and was honorably discharged on July 24, 1865. Murphy married Mary C. Bigelow of Nashville, Tennessee and settled there after the war. The couple had two children, Lucy (Murphy) Graves (1866-) and George Allen (1869-), before Mary Murphy's death in April of 1871.

In 1874 William Murphy married Laura Jane Fulwiler (1845-1943), daughter of John and Mary (Mahon) Fulwiler, and the couple had four children: Ralph (1876-1961), Laila (1878-1896), Loise (Murphy) Kretzinger (1880-1948), and Ray (1883-1896). In 1880 the family moved to Flagstaff, Aubrey Valley, and Prescott, Arizona in succession. During this time Murphy contracted with railroad companies including the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad for grading and road work services. In 1883 Murphy won the contract for construction of the Arizona Canal and agreed to receive his compensation in canal stock and land. As a result, it was necessary for Murphy to raise capital from out of state sources in order to meet payroll and construction expenses.

With the completion of the Arizona and Cross-Cut canals a large quantity of land in Phoenix could now be cultivated and developed. Investment capital was secured to enable the Murphys to develop the Orangewood section of North Central Avenue and the private club Ingleside, which eventually became a major Phoenix resort. These development efforts included importation and cultivation of citrus and date palms. In 1896 the Arizona Canal Company went into receivership and in 1902 it was incorporated into the Salt River Project as a result of the Newlands/Hansborough Reclamation Act. William J. Murphy died in Phoenix of heart disease on April 17, 1923.

From the guide to the William J. and Laura Fulwiler Murphy Collection, 1781-1983, 1872-1924, (Arizona State University Libraries Arizona Collection)