Bernard D. Murphy

Bernard D. Murphy
California State Assembly for Santa Clara County
In office
1869–1871
16th Mayor of San Jose
In office
1873–1877
Preceded byAdolph Pfister
Succeeded byGeorge B. McKee
California State Senator for Santa Clara County
In office
1877–1880
19th Mayor of San Jose
In office
1880–1882
Preceded byLawrence Archer
Succeeded byCharles J. Martin
Personal details
BornBernard Daniel Murphy
(1841-03-01)March 1, 1841
Quebec, Lower Canada
DiedDecember 28, 1911(1911-12-28) (aged 70)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Resting placeSanta Clara Mission Cemetery,
Santa Clara, California, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseAnna Lucy McGeoghegan
RelationsMartin Murphy Jr. (father),
Patrick W. Murphy (sibling),
Elizabeth Yuba Murphy (sibling),
Martin Murphy Sr. (grandfather),
John Marion Murphy (uncle),
Daniel Martin Murphy (uncle)
Children6
EducationSanta Clara College
OccupationLawyer, businessman, politician, banker, real estate investor

Bernard "Barney" Daniel Murphy (March 1, 1841 – December 28, 1911) also known as B. D. Murphy, was a Canadian-born American lawyer, businessman and politician. He was a member of the California State Assembly, a California State Senator, and the Mayor of San Jose, California for two terms.[1] The Murphy family were early settlers in California, and founders of early Santa Clara Valley.

Early life, family and education

Bernard "Barney" Daniel Murphy was born on March 1, 1841, in Quebec, Lower Canada (now Canada).[2][3] His father Martin Murphy Jr. was born in Wexford, Ireland.[4][5] His older brother Patrick W. Murphy was also a politician who served in the same legislative house concurrently.[6] When Bernard was 3 years old the Murphy family crossed the Sierra Nevada into California.[7][8]

They were early settlers in California, and founders of early Santa Clara Valley.[3][9] In 1846, his grandfather purchased the Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche. At age 9, his family homestead and the Martin Murphy House was founded in what is present-day Sunnyvale, California, near Mountain View, California.[3]

Murphy graduated with honors in 1865 from Santa Clara College (now Santa Clara University).[3]

In 1869, he married Anna Lucy McGeoghegan, and together they had 6 children.[3]

Career

Murphy passed the California State Bar exam in 1868.[3] He was a member of the Sainte Claire Club,[7] and a member and vice president of the Society of California Pioneers.[10][11]

Murphy was active within the Democratic Party. In 1869, he was elected to the California State Assembly, representing Santa Clara County.[12] He was instrumental in the establishment of the San Jose Normal School (later known as San Jose State University).[3]

He served two terms as Mayor of San Jose, starting in 1873.[3] During his first term as mayor he donated his salary to help form the first San Jose Public Library.[3]

On September 7, 1877, Murphy was elected as a California State Senator representing Santa Clara County.[13] He was one of the people instrumental in the establishment of the Lick Observatory, and the road built to the site.[3] He served on the board of trustees of the Lick Trust from 1875. This trust had been set up initially by James Lick in 1874 but he replaced the board with Murphy, Faxon Atherton, John Nightingale, and John H. Lick.[14]

He was one of the founders of the San Luis Obispo Water Company.[15]

Death

Murphy died of heart failure on December 28, 1911, at the Hotel Imperial in San Francisco, California.[3][8] He was buried at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Index to Politicians: Murphy, A to B". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  2. ^ "Bernard D. Murphy". JoinCalifornia. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "The Passing of Barney Murphy". The Californian. December 29, 1911. p. 7. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ History of Santa Clara County, California. Alley, Bowen, & Company. 1881. pp. 724–725.
  5. ^ O'Laughlin, Michael C. (2003). Irish Families on the California Trail. Irish Roots Cafe. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-940134-61-4.
  6. ^ "Patrick W. Murphy". JoinCalifornia. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Minar, Margarete (January 28, 2020). "Rediscovering the Plaque of B.D. Murphy". Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "B. D. Murphy Died Monday". Petaluma Daily Morning Courier. December 29, 1911 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Pioneering Murphy Family Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database (HMDB). Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  10. ^ "The Opposition Ticket". Oakland Tribune. June 25, 1877. p. 3. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Article clipped from San Luis Obispo Tribune". San Luis Obispo Tribune. July 14, 1877. p. 5. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "The Next Legislature of California". The Solano–Napa News Chronicle. September 23, 1869. p. 2. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Returns From the Interior". The San Francisco Examiner. September 8, 1877. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Young, John Philip. San Francisco - A History of the Pacific Coast Metropolis, Vol. 2. Jazzybee Verlag. ISBN 978-3-8496-7812-8. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Coast News Itemized". San Francisco Banner. July 20, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved November 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

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