Murphy, Iowa

Former unincorporated community in Iowa, United States
41°39′30″N 92°58′26″W / 41.65833°N 92.97389°W / 41.65833; -92.97389CountryUnited StatesStateIowaCountyJasperElevation
823 ft (251 m)Time zoneUTC-6 (Central (CST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)GNIS feature ID464220[1]

Murphy is a former unincorporated community in Jasper County, in the U.S. state of Iowa.[1]

Geography

Murphy was located on what is now Legion Street, along the banks of Elk Creek, at 41°39′30″N 92°58′26″W / 41.65833°N 92.97389°W / 41.65833; -92.97389[1]

History

Murphy in central Jasper County, Iowa, in 1902

Murphy was named after the first settler in the area, John W. Murphy, who settled the area in 1847.[2] J.W. Murphy also served as postmaster and as the master of the Buena Vista Grange. The post office was established in 1890.[3]

The community was in Buena Vista Township. Murphy never attracted many residents. The community's population was just 4 in 1902,[4] and was 5 in 1915.[5] Around this time, Murphy was considered a village.[3]

The community had a baseball diamond. The Murphy baseball team played against other teams in the Jasper County League.[2]

The Murphy post office closed on January 15, 1911. Thereafter, mail was routed though nearby Newton.[3]

The store at Murphy closed in 1937.[2] The population of Murphy was 27 in 1940.[6] The rail line was removed in 1950.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Murphy, Iowa
  2. ^ a b c d "Kellogg Area History". iagenweb.org. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Weaver, James Baird (1912). Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa. Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen & Company. pp. 108, 288, 379.
  4. ^ Cram's Modern Atlas: The New Unrivaled New Census Edition. J. R. Gray & Company. 1902. pp. 203–207.
  5. ^ Atlas of Johnson County, Iowa, 1917 :: Iowa Counties Historic Atlases. pp. 63–66.
  6. ^ The Attorneys List. United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Attorney List Department. 1940. p. 307.

See also

  • Zook Spur, Iowa, another central Iowa ghost town
  • v
  • t
  • e
Municipalities and communities of Jasper County, Iowa, United States
County seat: Newton
Cities
Map of Iowa highlighting Jasper County
TownshipsUnincorporated
communitiesFootnotes
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
  • Iowa portal
  • United States portal


Stub icon

This article about the geography of Jasper County, Iowa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e