Simon J. Murphy Sr. facts for kids

Simon Jones Murphy Sr. (born April 2, 1815, died February 5, 1905) was a very successful American businessman. He started his career working with wood, known as a lumberman. He became one of the first millionaires in Detroit, Michigan.

Simon Murphy was born in Windsor, Maine. He began working as a logger on the Penobscot River. He learned a lot about the lumber business and worked his way up. In 1866, he moved to Michigan to continue his work in the lumber industry.

From his base in Detroit, his company cut down trees from huge areas of Michigan's pine forests. He was so successful that he became one of the first millionaires in Detroit.

Life in California

In 1887, Simon Murphy started spending his winters in Whittier, California. He bought a large piece of land there called the Ramirez Rancho. In California, he worked on many different projects.

New Businesses

Murphy became involved in several new businesses in California. He helped bring water to farms, which is called irrigation. He also grew citrus fruits, like oranges. He became an oilman, finding and drilling for oil. He also developed land, building new areas for people to live.

He started two important companies:

• The East Whittier Land and Water Company
• The Murphy Oil Company, which drilled for oil in the Puente Hills

Murphy's Legacy

Simon Murphy was a big supporter of Whittier College in California. A hospital in Whittier was named after him. The neighborhood of Murphy Ranch was also built on land that used to be his citrus farm.

Building a Lumber Empire

In 1905, Simon Murphy took control of the Pacific Lumber Company. Under his leadership, this company became one of the largest and most famous businesses that cut and processed Coast Redwood trees.

For many years, five generations of the Murphy family managed this company. This included his son, Simon Murphy Jr., and his great-great-grandson, Warren Murphy. The main offices and sawmills were in the historic company town of Scotia, California. The family managed the company until 1985.

Detroit Buildings

Simon Murphy and his company built several important buildings in the Detroit Financial District. These buildings helped shape the city's downtown area.

Some of the buildings they constructed include:

• The Marquette Building
• The Murphy Power Building
• The first Penobscot Building

Today, there is a special memorial honoring Simon Murphy inside the second Penobscot Building in Detroit.

Murphy's Family

In September 1845, Simon Murphy married Ann Montgomery Dorr. She was born in 1828 in Bradley, Maine and passed away in 1903 in Detroit.

Simon and Ann Murphy had 12 children together. Sadly, many did not survive when they were very young. However, five sons and one daughter grew up:

• Charles Edmund (1846 – 1929)
• Simon Jones (1851 – 1926)
• Albert Montgomery (1852 – 1915)
• William Herbert (1855 – 1929)
• Annie Dorr (1857 – 1917)
• Frank Emery (1862 – 1934)

Children's Careers

Many of Simon Murphy's children followed in his footsteps or became successful in their own ways.

• Charles Edmund took over his father's real estate projects.
• Simon Jones Jr. became a lumberman, just like his father. He also served as the mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
• William Herbert went into the business of making car bodies for fancy, luxury cars. He was a main supporter of the Cadillac car company.
• Frank Emery was also a lumberman. He served four terms as an alderman (a city council member) in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He also helped develop Horse Shoe Bay Farms in Door County, Wisconsin. Frank E. Murphy Park was later donated to Door County in his honor. Another park, Murphy Park, on Green Bay's west side, was named after him for his public service.