Murphy Chamber of Commerce

There are four cemeteries in Murphy , all of historical as well as family interest.

Murphy was once counting sheep as a sleepy old town. Cotton may have been king, but Murphy's roots are in wool. The earliest settler, lured by land grants, was a sheepherder named Comfort McMillan. He came to the area in 1846 and opened the first business in the area 10 years later, raising sheep [whose wool was to be] used for clothing. Of course Murphy did not become famous for its sheep. Or much else. to be honest, except maybe its resilience.

Nov 2003

Murphy Middle School was officially dedicated practically in the shadow of the re cently christened Tom Kimbrough Stadium. Both buildings are symbolic of the Plano school district's response to the fast growth in Murphy. The new school is dedicated in the name of the city, a worthwhile gesture meant to honor Murphy's past and to , foster community spirit. With a new school named for the place, it is an appropriate time for people to take stock of the town's humble roots and its struggles.

Mr. McMillan, our story's shep herd founder of the town, named the place after his old hometown: New Decatur. The name was then changed to Maxwell Branch to honor two brothers who were pio neers in the area. But that wouldn't last. Other folks in the same area east of Plano left a more lasting im pression on the map, namely Sam J. Parker and William Sachse. Murphy finally got its permanent name in 1888 from William Murphy, who was nice enough to do nate the right of way used to build a railroad line through the center of what would become the "town."

Then things took off. According to Bob Fulkerson's 100-year Histo ry of Wylie, in its heyday in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the town boasted three cotton gins, a barbershop, grocery stores, a drug store and a post office,which the town struggled to keep and ultimately lost in the early 1950s.

That's also when the school, which went all the way through 10th grade, was folded into the Pla no school district. Students were also given the choice back then to go to Wylie schools, if they wanted to. Today, the town is split along Maxwell Creek Road , with students on the east side attending Wylie schools.

Typical of small towns, Murphy was hit hard when the cotton mar ket suffered during the Great Depression. The effects would last decades,as more people moved to the growing and more stable cities in the area. Population hit a low in the 1960s. In 1961, the population was 135; in 1970, it was 136.

The town barely was a town, ex cept for the signature Murphy Gro cery at the corner of Murphy Road and FM544.

But now that store has made way for a wider Murphy Road (and an Albertson ' s), leaving the building that houses the First Baptist Church of Murphy and the old school building as the town ' s main landmarks. The future of the old schoolhouse is uncertain, but the church, originally home to Murphy Baptist Church , is thriving, a s is everything else in Murphy. Perhaps its most dynamic histori cal period is starting right now. The town's population, at about 12,500, has doubled since the 2000 census.

With the expansion of the George Bush Turnpike, people are starting to notice Murphy on the map (it ' s nestled away southwest of Lake Lavon , and it shares borders with Plano , Parker, Wylie, Sachse and Richardson ).

The town's modern-day motto, "the best of country living," holds true to its roots. But it's mostly a reference to oversized lots that give its growing suburbs room to breathe. Yo u ' re just not very likely these days in Murphy to stumble upon any sheepherders.

Michael Landauer is the lead editorial writer for The Dallas Morning News in Collin County . He can be reached at mlandauer @dallasnews.com.

By permission of the author
Copyright Dallas morning News Nov 19, 2003 .