Biography - Daniel Murphy
DANIEL P. MURPHY, a prominent and prosperous agriculturist and the owner of a fine farm just out of the thriving town of Nokomis, Ill., was born in the Emerald Isle in 1837, and is characterized by the geniality and large-heartedness for which his countrymen are known. His native county is Kerry, and there his home continued to be until he was thirteen years of age, during which time his educational advantages were somewhat limited. In 1850, he immigrated to the United States with his parents, Daniel and Johannah (Morarity) Murphy, and for a time thereafter they resided in New York State, then in Indiana, and finally settled in Shelby County, Ohio, near Sidney, where the father purchased a small farm. As the family was far from rich, the early advantages of Daniel P. Murphy were far from being what was to be desired, but be realized the advantages to be derived from a good education and managed to acquire a fair knowledge of the rudimentary branches.
At the age of twenty years, he entered the employ of the Big Four Railroad, and for many years was section foreman at Bunker Hill and Litchfield, and later was stationed for ten years at Nokomis, where he was also foreman. He was very industrious and saving, and in 1877 he was enabled to purchase his first piece of land, which consisted of eighty acres and is now a part of his fine homestead. This land was purchased for $15 per acre, and in 1884 he purchased the balance of his land, onto which he moved, and has since been tilling it in a manner that has won the attention and admiration of all. He has the satisfaction of knowing that his farm is a valuable one, beautifully and desirably located, and his residence a handsome and well-appointed one, which desirable state of things has been brought about by his own persistence and industry.
In May. 1872, he was married to Miss Ellen Scholard, by whom he had a family of ten children, whose names are as follows: John Francis, Daniel Joseph, Thomas William, Charles Leo, Albert Matthew, James Stanislas, Mary Julietta, Rose Helena, Katie Alvina and Maggie Agnes, all of whom have received good educational advantages which they did not fail to improve. The parents of Mr. Murphy became well and favorably known in the vicinity in which they located in Shelby County, Ohio, and there their last days were spent, the mother dying in 1887, and the father in 1890, at the extremely advanced age of ninety-eight years. -Of four children that came to this country, all are still living. John being a machinist at Parsons, Kan. Patrick and his sister Bridget reside on the old homestead in Shelby County, Ohio.
Mr. Murphy cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, later became connected with the Democratic party, and is now a member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association, or Third part} 1 , although he is by no means a partisan. He has never sought public preferment, for he has found that his farm completely occupies his time and attention, and that to give his attention to any other pursuit would be at its expense, He has every reason to be proud of the way he has worked himself up from the foot of the ladder, but is not in the least boastful of the way he has conquered Dame Fortune; on the other hand, is rather modest and unobtrusive. Such a career is well worthy of emulation.
Extracted 10 Jan 2017 by Norma Hass from 1892 Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery and Bond Counties, Illinois, pages 384-385.
