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Source: The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Fulton County
Munsell Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908

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The Biography of Milton A. MURPHY 

Transcribed exactly according to the original complete text by Joan Achille and Alice Stipak. 

[Surnames: ARTMAN, BAUGHMAN, BROWN, DEAKIN, ERDMAN, FIELDS, McKINNEY, MOSHER, MURPHY] 

[Page 1013] 

    
MURPHY, Milton, a retired farmer, whose life in Fulton County, Ill., covers a period of nearly three-score and ten years, and whose immediate ancestors were among the earliest of the pioneer settlers of that region, was born in Cass Township, Fulton County, January 13, 1838, a son of William and Margaret (Artman)* Murphy, of whom the former was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Kentucky. William Murphy, whose occupation was that of a farmer, came to Fulton County with his parents when quite young. The family remained a short time in the East and settled in Fulton County in 1831, the journey westward being made by wagon, together with other immigrants. The Murphy family settled on a tract of land in Section 13, Cass Township, a mile and a half from Cuba, Ill., their nearest neighbor being Abraham Baughman, a well known pioneer, whose home was four miles distant. There Mr. Murphy pre-empted eighty acres of land, going to the Government Land Office at Quincy, Ill., in order to secure the title. At a late period he acquired forty acres more by purchase. On the homestead claim William Murphy built a log cabin and lived in it until he was able to put up a more comfortable dwelling. All other necessary improvements were made by him, and here he carried on farming up to the time of his death. Shortly after settling there he was drafted to serve in the Black Hawk War. He and his wife were the parents of four sons and one daughter, of whom but one (the subject of this sketch) now survives. 
    
The marriage of Mr. Murphy took place in Cass Township on March 19, 1857,* to Clementine Murphy who was born in Licking County, Ohio, a daughter of Solomon and Martha (McKinney) Murphy. Her parents moved from Ohio to Fulton County in 1853 and settled in Cass Township, where her father bought and operated a farm. Milton Murphy and his wife were blessed with nine children, eight of whom are living, namely: George B., of Cuba, Ill.; William S.; Eddie Ross, of Bushnell, Ill.; Albert E., of Cuba, Ill.; Cyrus A., who lives in Canton, Ill.; Phoebe A. (Mrs. Mosher); Martha M. (Mrs. Brown), of Cuba, Ill.; and Emma E., (Mrs. Deakin). 
    
In boyhood Milton Murphy attended school in a log house, without a brick, nail or window-sash in its construction, light being afforded by glass fixed in the crevice of a split log. He remained with his parents until he entered his twentieth year, and then rented a farm, which he cultivated for five years. At the end of that period he bought 120 acres in Section 11, Cass Township, on which he made most of the improvements, afterward purchasing forty acres more. There for fourteen years he carried on farming during the summer and dug coal in winter time. He and his wife were involved in the Chatsworth disaster. In 1892 he bought a lot in Cuba, Ill., on which he built a residence, which he has since occupied as his home. 
    
In politics Mr. Murphy is a Democrat. For sixteen years he held the office of Justice of the Peace of Cass Township, and has served as a member of the Cuba Town Board. He is a man of high character and commands the respect and confidence of all classes. 

See also: Canton Rambler sketch of Mr. and Mrs. Milton A. Murphy 

*Note: According to Mary Matthews, great-granddaughter of Milton A. and Clementine (Murphey) Murphy, they were in the Chatsworth disaster but were not injured. Milton died in 1908, Clementine in 1924. William R. Murphy, Milton's father, was 31 years old when he came to Fulton Co. with his parents, Elisha MURPHY & Jennet "Jane" FIELDS. William's wife was Margaret ARTMAN (ERDMAN). Milton A. married Clementine MURPHEY, daughter of William Solomon MURPHEY and Martha Ann McKINNEY, on 19 Mar 1856. The MURPHY - MURPHEY is significant because they were different families, the MURPHY ancestor, b. 1739, from N. Ireland and the MURPHEY ancestor, b. 1735, from the Isle of Man. Both ancestors were in the Rev. War.