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Murphy History
in a Pecan ShellFirst
settlement began with the Peters Colony land grants in the 1840s. The original
name of Old Decator, came from the hometown of the landowner and developer
C. A. McMillian.
With the arrival of the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad
in the late 1880s, the town’s name was changed to honor Wm. Murphy who donated
a railroad right-of-way.
A
post office was granted in 1891 and Murphy settled in as a railroad
shipping point.
By
the mid 1950s the population has shrunk to around 150 and the post office was
closed. The population hit rock-bottom in the early 1960s with a mere 135 residents.
By
1986 the population had grown to 1,500 and has doubled for the 2000 Census.
A
Visit to Murphy, TexasPhotographer's
Note:
The church
and the school comprise a large chunk of what is left of old Murphy. Just about
everything else, not that there was a lot to start with, is gone. - Mike
Price, January 05, 2008 |
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Murphy Public School, a WPA Project
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, January 2008 |
WPA Project 1938-1940 plaque
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, January 2008 |
First Baptist Church Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Mike
Price, January 2008 |
First Baptist
Church of Murphy Historical MarkerIn
1900, twelve years after the founding of Murphy, local resident Mrs. May Cockrell
directed the formation of this congregation. Aware of the need for a Baptist church
in the community, she hosted the organizational meeting in her home. Present were
many of her friends, including the Rev. G.W. McCalla a Baptist preacher from Plano,
and Bob Coleman of the Plano Star-Courier. The same year Mrs. Louisa Brown donated
land at this site for construction of the sanctuary. Since 1900 the congregation
has made many significant contributions to the community. | |
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