Murphy, Iowa Explained

Official Name:Murphy, Iowa
Pushpin Map:Iowa
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Iowa
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Jasper
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:823
Coordinates:41.6583°N -92.9739°W
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:464220

Murphy is a former unincorporated community in Jasper County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.

Geography

Murphy was located on what is now Legion Street, along the banks of Elk Creek, at 41.6583°N -92.9739°W

History

Murphy was named after the first settler in the area, John W. Murphy, who settled the area in 1847. J.W. Murphy also served as postmaster and as the master of the Buena Vista Grange. The post office was established in 1890.

The community was in Buena Vista Township. Murphy never attracted many residents. The community's population was just 4 in 1902,[1] and was 5 in 1915.[2] Around this time, Murphy was considered a village.

The community had a baseball diamond. The Murphy baseball team played against other teams in the Jasper County League.

The Murphy post office closed on January 15, 1911. Thereafter, mail was routed though nearby Newton.[3]

The store at Murphy closed in 1937.[4] The population of Murphy was 27 in 1940.[5] The rail line was removed in 1950.[4]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition . 1902 . J. R. Gray & Company . 203–207 . en.
  2. Book: Atlas of Johnson County, Iowa, 1917 :: Iowa Counties Historic Atlases . 63–66.
  3. Book: Weaver, James Baird . Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa . 1912 . Indianapolis, Indiana . B.F. Bowen & Company . 108, 288, 379.
  4. Web site: Kellogg Area History . 2021-06-23 . iagenweb.org.
  5. Book: The Attorneys List . United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department . 1940 . 307 . en.