Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1916-09-19
Monmouth Has One Of 0regOn's
Important Institutions.
HISTORY OF SCHOOL RELATES
PRIvATIoNs OF PIONEERS.
Founded as UNCONVENTIONAL Col
lege It Was Made State Nor
NAL in 1882.


ply who is central character ther
in. The facts are from diaries, Letter
and papers in possession of the fo
lowing: Mrs. W. D. Fenton, Por
land, Mrs. Robert McMurphy, El
gene, Mrs. Mary Stump Campbell
Monmouth; Mrs. W. L. Wells, Ha
sey and Fl. W. Murphy, Lebanon.
John e. Murphy's father, Willial
Murphy, was Scotch-Irish from Lor
donderry in the north of Irelant
William Murphy and two brother
were Baptist preachers who wer
driven out of ireland by the Bene
dlctine monks on account of their re
hgion. They came to America anc
settled in Virginia. William Murph,
married Nancy Ferguson, who wa
born on the James River, Virginia
She was the daughter Of James Fer.
guson of the Ayrshire family, Scot
land. John Murphy, grandfather of
John E. Murphy, was a Baptist cler,
gyman. He married Rachel Cooke
from Sulpeper, Virginia. She was
descended from Francis Cooke who
came over the first voyage of the
Mayfower, and who was the seven
teenth signer of the Cape Cod Com
pact.
William Murphy and one of his
brothers inherited great many
slaves, but because they believed it
a crime to deal in fellow men, they
liberated them.
John E. Murphy, who was one of
a family of eight children, was born
in Kentucky in 1907. AS a child he
played, went to school, and helped
his father on the farm, as all chill
dren Of that time did
The family became associated with
Barton w. Stone, Alexander Camp
bell and Walter Scott in Kentucky
during the first of the Christian
church reformation. They were con
verted and began to preach for the
Christian church instead of the Bap-
tist.
On the twenty-second Of March,
1927, John E. Murphy married Fran
els W. Doughty. They moved to H.
hnois in 1880 and became pioneer
settlers ON farm in Warren county.
They endured great hardships during
the rearing of their twelve children.
AT one time during the Black Hawk
war they left their home and went
a hundred miles to a fort for safety.
Mr.. Murphy was a man of unusual
ability, a Christian preacher and
profound student.
1t was at the home of John E.
Murphy one very cold night in the
early fifties, when the snow was deep
on the ground, that group of men,
all from the vicinity of Monmouth,
Warren county, Illinois, met to pom
der over map of the Oregon coun-
try and to plan to go there. Different
routes to their perspective homes
were discussed. After great deal
Of planning and argument, Rev. John
3. Murphy, William Murphy, his
cousin, Albert W. Lucas. Thomas Lu-
cas-, Ira F. NJ. Butler, Squire Whit
man, Elijah Davidson and Henry
Roundtree, decided to make the jour $
ley. They resolved to found a
,hurch and a Christian college in the
vest. Some homes were sold, some
we're rented, and still others were left
'acant. Wagons were built; house
lold furniture was sorted out: pro-
'isions were packed to last for the
Quincy and for some time after the
Irrival in the new country. They al
o provided horses to draw the wag-
ms in which the women and children
Tere to ride, oxen to draw other wag-
ms, and pony each for two of the
lder Murphy boys to ride-that they
hight leave the train at times and
i'll game.
On a clear morning April 13. 1852.
riends and relatives were told good
ye. After reading a passage of
rupture, singing a hymn and ask
g God for his guidenee during the
,urney and in building the new
,mes and the Christian college, the
Iirty white-top wagons slowly erept
1t of sight of the dear friends who
I'd gathered to wish the "Murphy
rain God speed.
The train slowly moved on. Final
towns became scarce. The captain
opped at the last town and bought
wagon load of corn to feed the
rses,and cattle while enroute. The
eat plains were very dry and hot,
t in due time the Snake and Co
nbia rivers were reached. 1t was
lgust 80, 1852, that the beautiful
illamette valley was greeted by the
grims.
The first winter was spent at Crow