Mattie was the third child of nine children of John Marion Murphy and Virginia E. Reed, who were both locally famous pioneers of California. John Murphy was one of twenty-six members of the Murphy family who helped lead The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy wagon train to California in 1844, which was the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains and arrive in California intact.
John Murphy struck it rich in the gold fields of California and in the first election of Santa Clara County in 1850, John became the first County Treasurer. In 1854, he became a City Councilman for the City of San Jose and served as mayor in 1856. In the election of 1857, Murphy became Sheriff on the Democratic ticket and then became the first Sheriff of Santa Clara County to be re-elected to that office.
John married Virginia Reed in 1850, step-daughter of James F. Reed, both of whom were survivors of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia was only sixteen at the time of her engagement to John. They had nine children and three died in infancy.
Virginia Backenstoe Reed, was 13 when her stepfather and mother Margret Wilson Keyes left Springfield, Illinois as members of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia wrote a first-hand account of the Donner Party in a letter published by the Illinois Journal in December of 1847 and in 1891, she wrote "Across the Plains in the Donner Party" for Century Magazine.
Virginia was a noted equestrian who won prizes for horsemanship. After her husband became ill, Virginia assisted him in his insurance business and continued it after his death in 1892, becoming the first woman on the Pacific Coast to engage in the fire insurance business. Virginia Street in downtown San Jose is named for her. Compiled by Allen Rountree
John Murphy struck it rich in the gold fields of California and in the first election of Santa Clara County in 1850, John became the first County Treasurer. In 1854, he became a City Councilman for the City of San Jose and served as mayor in 1856. In the election of 1857, Murphy became Sheriff on the Democratic ticket and then became the first Sheriff of Santa Clara County to be re-elected to that office.
John married Virginia Reed in 1850, step-daughter of James F. Reed, both of whom were survivors of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia was only sixteen at the time of her engagement to John. They had nine children and three died in infancy.
Virginia Backenstoe Reed, was 13 when her stepfather and mother Margret Wilson Keyes left Springfield, Illinois as members of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia wrote a first-hand account of the Donner Party in a letter published by the Illinois Journal in December of 1847 and in 1891, she wrote "Across the Plains in the Donner Party" for Century Magazine.
Virginia was a noted equestrian who won prizes for horsemanship. After her husband became ill, Virginia assisted him in his insurance business and continued it after his death in 1892, becoming the first woman on the Pacific Coast to engage in the fire insurance business. Virginia Street in downtown San Jose is named for her. Compiled by Allen Rountree
Mattie was the third child of nine children of John Marion Murphy and Virginia E. Reed, who were both locally famous pioneers of California. John Murphy was one of twenty-six members of the Murphy family who helped lead The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy wagon train to California in 1844, which was the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains and arrive in California intact.
John Murphy struck it rich in the gold fields of California and in the first election of Santa Clara County in 1850, John became the first County Treasurer. In 1854, he became a City Councilman for the City of San Jose and served as mayor in 1856. In the election of 1857, Murphy became Sheriff on the Democratic ticket and then became the first Sheriff of Santa Clara County to be re-elected to that office.
John married Virginia Reed in 1850, step-daughter of James F. Reed, both of whom were survivors of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia was only sixteen at the time of her engagement to John. They had nine children and three died in infancy.
Virginia Backenstoe Reed, was 13 when her stepfather and mother Margret Wilson Keyes left Springfield, Illinois as members of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia wrote a first-hand account of the Donner Party in a letter published by the Illinois Journal in December of 1847 and in 1891, she wrote "Across the Plains in the Donner Party" for Century Magazine.
Virginia was a noted equestrian who won prizes for horsemanship. After her husband became ill, Virginia assisted him in his insurance business and continued it after his death in 1892, becoming the first woman on the Pacific Coast to engage in the fire insurance business. Virginia Street in downtown San Jose is named for her. Compiled by Allen Rountree
John Murphy struck it rich in the gold fields of California and in the first election of Santa Clara County in 1850, John became the first County Treasurer. In 1854, he became a City Councilman for the City of San Jose and served as mayor in 1856. In the election of 1857, Murphy became Sheriff on the Democratic ticket and then became the first Sheriff of Santa Clara County to be re-elected to that office.
John married Virginia Reed in 1850, step-daughter of James F. Reed, both of whom were survivors of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia was only sixteen at the time of her engagement to John. They had nine children and three died in infancy.
Virginia Backenstoe Reed, was 13 when her stepfather and mother Margret Wilson Keyes left Springfield, Illinois as members of the ill-fated Donner Party. Virginia wrote a first-hand account of the Donner Party in a letter published by the Illinois Journal in December of 1847 and in 1891, she wrote "Across the Plains in the Donner Party" for Century Magazine.
Virginia was a noted equestrian who won prizes for horsemanship. After her husband became ill, Virginia assisted him in his insurance business and continued it after his death in 1892, becoming the first woman on the Pacific Coast to engage in the fire insurance business. Virginia Street in downtown San Jose is named for her. Compiled by Allen Rountree
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