The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-09-27
TOWN OF MURPHY
IS NOW NO MORE
Discontinuance Of Postoffice
Marks Last Chapter In His.
tory OF Rosebud Village.
A TURBULENT EXISTENCE
During Its Short Life the Town, First
Known as Eden and Later nc Muir
ply, Was 6eset With Many
Difficulties.

Homestead. =. D.. sept. 2t.-Thc town
OF Murphy. which at one time prom
Iscd to become one Of the most thriv-
ing towns In the coded portion OF the
Rosebud Indian reservation. In no
more. The last chapter In the history
Of the town was written n few days
ago. when the p~ostofilce was discon-
tinued and the postoflce supplies and
fixtures were shipped 10 WASHINGTON.
The town has had quite n history.
When first established Il was known
ns Eden. being named after the depot
agent ut Fairfax. IL was a government
TOWNSHIP. and on August >. 1903. was
thrown open for TOWNSHIP settlement.
The townsite comprised 2i0 acres OF
farming land. but IL was poorly STU
ated for a TOWNSHIP.
The law provides that Shen land IL
set aside as n TOWNSHIP those who To-
cate upon IL must make improvements
to a certain amount on the tract. For
some reason the townsiters failed TO
comply with this provision OF the law.
on April 20. 1906, a settler named john
Biehn, desiring TO secure the tract Tor
homestead purposes. squntted on 100
acres OF the $40 acres embraced In the
townsite. He then presented n petition
60 the United States land Office for the
AEAAlAk hAlAN Wv -,
by him be thrown open to homestead
entry. The petition was strictly &C
cording TO the law covering such cases
and bore the signatures OF Biehn and
twelve other residents OF that locality.
on July rs the and officers Issued an
order declaring the iGo acres subject
to homestead entry, and Biehn pre-
scnted his entry. This was accepted
by the land officers and placed on rec
ord. The remaining eighty acres was
retained IN n townsite.
About the time Biehn was taking
steps TO secure the homestead, the set
tiers I'm hat vicinity. desiring TO Sc
cure n postofiice. and not having n
friendly feeling toward the man after
whom the own was named. prevailed
upon John II. Murphy. who lived one
mile south OF Eden. TO make application
20 have "A p~ostofiice established at his
place and TO start another town as n
rival 10 Eden.
THE postonce was established on
Murphy's farm and n building was
erected TO accommodate IL. This, IL
was believed. would prove "a dcath-blow
TO Eden. But such Tx not prove TO be
the case. After Biehn had been permit
ted TO make entry OF 100 acres OF the
tract originally embraced In h e own
site. the settlers I'm h vicinity rallied
TO his supper by petitioning the post
Office department TO have the p~ostofiice
removed from the farm OF Murphy to
Eden, but that Murphy be retained as
the name OF the postofficc. The petit
ton was granted n the p~ostofiice was
moved TO the old townsite.
Following this the town OF Murphy
enjoyed n season OF some prosperity,
and seemed in a fair way to become a
place OF some Importance. But finally
MIR. Murphy. who is chief register OF
titles In Cook county. Ill, finding that
his duties I'm Cook county would pre-
vent him retaining his residence upon
his homestead. relinquished the home
stead and at acquaintance named w.
ID. Bonekemper made entry upon the
land. Murphy also resigned the posi-
ton OF postmaster. and Solomon Baron
was appointed as his successor. But
for some reason the town began To 20
backward. Soon residents or other
towns commenced TO purchase the
buildings. some OF which were moved &c
Dixon, a rival town some miles away.
Others were moved elsewhere to farms
I'm the vicinity and 20 other towns.
During the past few months there
was only one building In the town n
that was occupied by the postoffice.
Now that the postoflce has been dis
continued that. too. VIII disappear n
nothing will remain TO mark the spot
where n town once stood except the
modest dwelling OF n homesteader.
Steps already are under Roadway TO
have the eighty acres Included I'm the
townsite opened tn homestead entry.