Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 528
MICHAEL MURRAY

It is with pleasure the biographer now undertakes to formulate a brief sketch of the interesting career of Michael MURRAY, doubtless the oldest living pioneer of the Little Sioux valley. Mr. MURRAY has long been a resident of this vicinity and having come here when the country was in the very earliest stages of development, he has had the privilege of seeing the vas unclaimed areas become fertile and well-kept farms, with comfortable homes dotted here and there. And almost like magic, on the bosom of the plains, towns have sprung up, crude and small in their beginnings it is true, but they are now flourishing cities with modern improvements and much that enhances the enjoyment of life. So great has been the change from his earliest days here to the present time, that the realization of the wildest fancies of his earliest years would not nearly approach that which has come to pass. And in the general development of the community in which he lives Mr. MURRAY has played an important part, having long been the leading merchant of his locality and in many ways he has added to the local commercial life.

Michael MURRAY is a native of Scotland, born on May 4, 1840, the son of Michael and Mary (CRAIG) MURRAY. The father was a ditcher by trade and there were five children of the family which grew to maturity. All the family finally emigrated to the United States, the first to make the trip being Michael's brother John, who came to this country and located in Little Sioux in 1852. Five years later he sent for the immediate subject of this sketch, the latter arriving in Little Sioux in the fall of 1857. He landed in this country at New York City, making the journey from that point to Iowa City by train, thence to Des Moines by stage. At that point his funds were exhausted as he had paid his last ten dollars for the stage trip to Des Moines. From there he bravely started out to walk the remaining distance to Little Sioux, and finally reached his destination, tired, but triumphant. Then the two brothers labored and saved until finally they had sufficient funds to bring the entire family to the new world, and there was a joyful reunion when all were once more together. Michael and John did many things to earn money during these years, among others carrying the mail and driving the stage, Michael MURRAY having the distinction of being the first man to drive a stage coach west of the Missouri river.

In 1866 Michael MURRAY returned to Little Sioux and in partnership with his brother John and J. J. PECK, opened up a general store, under the firm name of J. J. PECK & Co., later being known as MURRAY Bros. Later on Mr. PECK sold his interest to W. H. ROBERTSON and the firm name was changed to MURRAY & ROBERTSON. This partnership continued agreeably until the death of Mr. ROBERTSON in 1874 or 1875, when Michael MURRAY purchased the interest of the ROBERTSON heirs and the store was then known as the M. MURRAY store. Later on, in 1885, Leonidas H. MCWILLIAMS purchased an interest and the firm name was changed to MURRAY & MCWILLIAMS. This arrangement lasted only five years, when Mr. MURRAY again came into control and the store was conducted under his name until in 1913, when Mrs. E. J. BONNEY, a niece of Mr. MURRAY, purchased an interest and the store has since gone under the firm name of MURRAY & BONNEY. Mrs. BONNEY is proving a valuable partner in the business and the store is continuing to thrive in its wonted way. Mrs. BONNEY, whose maiden name was Elizabeth BOOTH, was born on August 13, 1862, in Little Sioux, her father being William BOOTH, one of the early pioneers of this section. She is the widow of Charles BONNEY, whose death occurred in 1896, and she is the mother of four children: Lucy, who is Mrs. FLEMMING, lives in Onawa; Cecil, (Mrs. GLASSER); Ula, (Mrs. STUCKER), and Heller all reside in Little Sioux. Mrs. BONNEY fell heir to a small fortune and was thus enabled to buy her share in the firm, of which she is a valuable member.

From the time he first engaged in the general merchandise business, Mr. MURRAY also dealt in grain and hogs. For the first few years he had cribs in Little Sioux, which served his purpose for a time, but in 1886 or 1887 he purchased the elevator at River Sioux owned by T. M. C. LOGAN and this he owned until 1897, when he sold out to the Updyke Grain Company.

On April 2, 1869, Mr. MURRAY was united in marriage with Luella ELLIS, who was born in Ripley, Ohio, on May 2, 1846. She was the daughter of John and Hannah (MARTIN) ELLIS, who brought her to this county when she was nine years old. To Michael and Luella (ELLIS) MURRAY have been born seven children, five of whom are living. Agnes is the wife of Dr. Frank E. Boyd and resides at Colfax, Iowa. They are the parents of three children, Marjorie, Virginia and Frank. Lillian lives in Council Bluffs, where she is employed as a bookkeeper. Ada remains with her parents and assists in the store. John A married Adaline BARNHART and resides at Logan. They have one child, Michael. Thomas also remains at home and is manager of the B. and E. Confectionery store. Mary and James are the two of the family who have passed into the life beyond. James left a widow, who was Nettie Reeves, and one child, Margarette.

Mr. MURRAY is a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and has held numerous minor offices. He was county supervisor for one term and has been school director, in addition to filling other stations of public trust and responsibility. Mr. MURRAY holds his religious membership in the Catholic church, of which he and his family are all communicants. At one time Mr. MURRAY was a large land owner, having twelve hundred acres located in Sioux and Morgan townships and MURRAY Hill and MURRAY Road are both named in honor of him.

Throughout the many years of his life here, Mr. MURRAY has been one of the leading men in every phase of community life and the universal respect in which he is held, as well as his great circle of admiring friends, testifies as to what manner of man he truly is.

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