William John Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William John Murphy
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William John Murphy, c. 1905
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| Born | August 23, 1839 |
| Died | April 17, 1923 (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Businessman, contractor and land developer |
William John Murphy was a smart American businessman who helped build many things. He was born on August 23, 1839, and passed away on April 17, 1923. People remember him as the person who started the Arizona Improvement Company. He is also famous for being the "Founder of Glendale, Arizona" and for helping a lot with the early growth of the Phoenix area.
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William Murphy's Early Life
William Murphy was born in New Hartford, New York. His parents, George Alexander Murphy and Nancy Allen, came from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. When he was young, his family moved to Ohio, where he went to school. Later, they moved to Chicago and then to Pontiac, Illinois, where he continued his education.
When the American Civil War started, Murphy joined the Union Army. He was an officer under General William Tecumseh Sherman. Murphy fought in the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864. The Union forces won against the Confederate States Army. Murphy left the military on July 24, 1865. He received the Army Civil War Campaign Medal for his service.
After the war, Murphy married Mary C. Bigelow from Nashville, Tennessee. They had two children. Sadly, Mary passed away in April 1871. Later that year, he married Laura Jane Fulwiler, and they had four children together.
Building the Arizona Canal
In 1880, Murphy and his family moved to what was then called the Arizona territory. He worked with railroad companies, helping to build roads. His family first lived in Flagstaff and then in Prescott.
Murphy learned about a big project called the Arizona Canal. This canal would bring much-needed water to the dry lands of Maricopa County. In 1882, he teamed up with three other builders: M.W. Kales, William A. Hancock, and Clark Churchill. They won a contract worth $500,000 to build the 40-mile-long (64 km) Arizona Canal. This canal would stretch from Granite Reef to New River.
Murphy and his team used the machines they had and worked with 225 mules. They finished building the canal by 1885. Murphy had agreed to be paid with company stock, bonds, and land instead of cash. This meant he ended up in a lot of debt.
Founding Glendale, Arizona
In 1887, Murphy started his own company, the Arizona Improvement Company. His goal was to sell the land and water rights south of the new canal. He decided to name this new area "Glendale." Murphy needed to find money from outside Arizona to pay his workers and cover building costs.
To make the new town appealing to investors and settlers, Murphy built a better way to get around. He created an 18-mile-long (29 km) diagonal road connecting Phoenix, Glendale, and Peoria. He named this important road Grand Avenue.
In 1891, Burgess Hadsell worked with Murphy to bring 70 families to Glendale. These families were part of a temperance movement, meaning they avoided alcoholic drinks. Other settlers were also drawn to Glendale because it banned alcohol. In 1895, Murphy planned out the town. He made sure to include a town park and areas for businesses. He also helped bring a railroad to Glendale by giving up some land along Grand Avenue. This railroad made it easier for people in Glendale to send goods north and receive building materials.
Developing Phoenix and the Valley
Murphy and his family lived on a ranch in Phoenix. It was located at 7514 N. Central Avenue. He started to develop his land. He tried growing 1,800 orange and other citrus fruit trees that he brought from California. His experiment was a big success! This success helped Arizona farmers sell their fruits to markets in the eastern United States. Murphy is known for starting the Valley's citrus industry in 1895.
He also developed a road called Central Avenue. In 1920, part of this road was paved. It cut through an area called Orangewood. This part of the road is now known as the "Murphy Bridle Path." It starts at Bethany Home Road and goes 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north to the Arizona Canal. The Murphy Bridle Path is now on the Phoenix Historic Property Register.
Murphy's success with citrus trees also made him think about starting a sugar beet industry in Glendale. In 1903, he and other business people started the Arizona Sugar Company. They began building a $1 million sugar beet factory that same year. The company selling bonds for the factory had problems, but Murphy found new investors in 1905.
Murphy also built the Ingleside Club, which had a golf course. It was near the Arizona Canal and Scottsdale. He hoped this club would attract investors and landowners to the Salt River Valley. In 1909, Murphy gave the town park to the city of Glendale. In 1911, he developed an electric trolley line that ran between Phoenix and Glendale until 1925.
William Murphy's Legacy
William Murphy passed away on April 17, 1923, in Phoenix, Arizona, from heart problems. He is buried in the Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery in Phoenix.
Today, Glendale is a large city with over 225,000 residents. It is the fourth-largest city in Arizona.
In 1912, the park that Murphy donated was renamed Murphy Park in his honor. It is located at 58th and Glendale Avenues and has a public library. Murphy's family home at 7514 N. Central Avenue is still preserved as the William J. Murphy House. The Murphy Bridle Path also still exists today. It is a trail along Central Avenue between Bethany Home Road and Northern Avenue.
Images for kids
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The Sugar Beet Factory Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
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The Murphy Bridle Path
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Murphy Park in Glendale
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Gravesite marker of William John Murphy
