Tag: Harry James McMurray

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Tuesday’s Tip: Using County Histories to Understand F. A. McMurray’s Time as Sheriff of Jasper County, Iowa

This entry is part 2 of 7 in the series Jasper County Iowa- Sheriff Election, 1899
Frederick Asbury McMurray, circa 1890?
Frederick Asbury McMurray, circa 1890?

McMURRAY Family (Click for Family Tree)

Now that we are reasonably sure of the authenticity of the certificate naming Frederick Asbury “F. A.” McMurray as an elected sheriff of Jasper County, Iowa in 1899, we need to determine just what happened after the election. Did F.A. actually serve ant time at all as sheriff? If so, were there any interesting events that occurred during his tenure? If he did not serve, then what chain of events caused him to step down after running for office- and winning?

First, let’s review the important facts from the Election Certificate posted yesterday:

  1. The election was for Sheriff of Jasper County, Iowa.
  2. The election occurred on 7 November 1899.
  3. Term of service was two years, beginning 1 January 1900.
  4. F. A. gave bond and took the Oath of Office by 14 November 1899.
  5. The Election Certificate was signed on 14 November 1899.

Now we know the dates and place to use in searches.

County histories were written for many midwestern states around the time of the Centennial celebration in the US, in 1876. Jasper County did publish a history, so the first search was for the page that listed county officers. Since this book was published in 1878, it would not contain the election information we seek.

We can, however, look to see if F. A. McMurray was listed, and if there was any work in law enforcement. The volume only lists “McMurray, F., far., S. 11; P. O. Newton.” We would need to check land records to confirm that our F. A. McMurray is the same as this farmer who worked on Section 11 in Jasper County. In 1870, “Asbury” McMurray had been working on a farm, probably his family’s with his father (Henderson McMurray) and 3 brothers in Jasper County, and he had $350 in personal estate- perhaps his savings for a farm of his own? It is highly likely that “McMurray, F.” and F.A. McMurray are the same man, as F. A. was 28 that year (1878), had been married for 5 years to Hannah Melissa Benjamin, and they already had two children, William Elmer McMurray and Harry James McMurray. As a married man with children to support, and especially since he had some cash as a single man 8 years earlier, F.A. probably had a piece of land he worked, whether owned or rented. F. A. was then listed as a farmer in the 1880 US Federal Census for Newton, Jasper County, Iowa. (That census does not list whether a farm was owned or rented, and there are no agricultural censuses available from that year.) So we could be talking about the same man.

The county histories from this era are often called, “Mug Books” since they contain portraits of individuals and pictures of family homes, along with a very favorable biography of an individual. Many of the publishers required payment to have an entry in the book, so that is why some people may not be included. As an example, F.A.’s father Henderson McMurray was listed as a farmer in both the 1870 and 1880 US Federal Censuses for Jasper County, Iowa, yet he is not listed in the county history. “F. McMurray” may have paid a small fee for his very short description. As the biographies got longer and more detailed, one could generally surmise that the material wealth and community standing of an individual increased as well, and probably the cost of their self-advertisement. (Nevertheless, these books give family historians great information sometimes!)

The older county history did not include any information about F. A. being in law enforcement in those early years, so let’s look for a more recent history. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa was published in 1912, so we may be able to find the information we seek within these pages. Volume 1, pages 92-3 contain a list of Jasper County Sheriffs, but C. H. Hook was the sheriff in 1899 and 1901; F.A. McMurray was not listed. (Joe Horn, who signed the certificate, was listed as the County Auditor elected in 1898 and 1900.) There is no biography for any McMurrays in either volume.

So interestingly, despite the family having a certificate that states F. A. McMurray was elected as Sheriff of Jasper County, Iowa, in 1899, he apparently did not serve. We need more detailed sources to tell us the whole story.

 

To be continued…

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. The History of Jasper County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c: A Biographical Directory of Its Citizens, War Record of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics … History of the Northwest, History of Iowa… Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1878, pp 452, 576. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_History_of_Jasper_County_Iowa_Contai.html?id=IHwUAAAAYAAJ
  2. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa by Gen. James B Weaver, B.F. Bowen & Company, 1912, Vol. 1– https://archive.org/details/pastpresentofjas01weav/page/n5  Vol. 2– https://books.google.com/books/about/Past_and_Present_of_Jasper_County_Iowa.html?id=H3wUAAAAYAAJ

 

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Friday’s Faces from the Past: Young William Elmer McMurray

McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1886: Frederick Asbury McMurray, Hannah "Melissa" Benjamin McMurray, William Elmer McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray (baby)
McMurray-Benjamin Family circa 1887: Frederick Asbury McMurray and his wife, Hannah “Melissa” (Benjamin) McMurray, William Elmer McMurray (standing in back, viewer’s left), Harry J. McMurray (standing in back, right), Addie Belle McMurray (standing on far left with bow on her dress), Roy McMurray (sitting in front, left), and Ray McMurray (baby being held on Melissa’s lap).

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

[How are we related? Will McMurray was the father of Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Herbert C. McMurray, and Maude (McMurray) Cook.]

How many baby pictures exist of you? How many of your children, if you have any? Do you have boxes and boxes of photos, documenting every single year and special event?

We are almost overwhelmed with photos these days, both physical and digital, but for the Frederick Asbury and Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray family, that was not a problem. Before the invention of small consumer cameras, a family had to go to a professional photographer to get a picture taken of the family or child, or utilize an itinerant photographer who carried all studio equipment with him/her. (Some photographers, especially out west, even outfitted a train car with a studio and darkroom! They would advertise their arrival date ahead of time, stop in a small town for a couple of days and take photos and print them, then move on.) Family historians lament the lack of photos available for our ancestors, but there just weren’t that many taken, plus they were destroyed by fires, floods, humidity, and/or heat. They may have been left behind when migrating to a new place, split among a dozen children, thrown out by descendants who did not care about them, or they exist somewhere, maybe in an antique store but have no name, date, or place on them, so we cannot know if the images are of those who shared their DNA with us to make us who we are today.

We are so lucky to have this photo, and know each of the persons in it! This is the earliest photo we have that shows the McMurray family or any of their children. Our subject today is William Elmer McMurray in his younger years, so we will focus on him in this and some upcoming posts, but childhood years would have been fairly similar for Will’s siblings too: Harry James McMurray, Addie Belle McMurray, Roy McMurray, and Ray McMurray.

William Elmer McMurray, circa 1887, about age 13, cropped from family photo.

Will, or Bill, as he was known in later years but maybe even as a child, was the oldest of the McMurray children. He was born 15 June 1874 in Newton or Marshalltown, Iowa, or may have actually been born out on the farm. His parents had married the year before, but we don’t know yet whether they had their own land at that point, were living on the farm of one of their parents, or lived in town and worked out on a parent’s (or someone else’s) farm.

Growing up on the farm as he most likely did gave Will the opportunity to have the freedom of country life yet he would have had the responsibilities of the eldest son of a farmer. Will was six years old in 1880 and attended school per the US Federal Census. His brother Harry, age 4, and sister Addie, age 2, were “at home” with Hannah, and F. A. was listed as a farmer, as were the other heads of household on the 8 June 1880 US Federal Census for Newton Township, Jasper County, Iowa. As F.A. McMurray was also an auctioneer who traveled all over the county, and sometimes even to other counties, Will probably went with him at times as a helper and to learn the business.

A big change was coming to the McMurray family- by 1885, when Will was 10, the Iowa State Census noted that Will’s father, Frederick Asbury McMurray, had a second-hand store, and they were living in East Newton, at “Out Lot 26, Newton.” Will’s Aunt Mary McMurray (his father’s sister), who was 27 and single, was also living in the household, and working as a dressmaker. (She never married, and lived to be 100 years, 2 months old!) The big move to town would have been quite a lot of work for the whole family, though since F.A. was an auctioneer, selling off their farm equipment, grain, and livestock would have been a bit easier than calling in a stranger. Whatever was left over of household goods could be put in the second-hand store, and Will and his siblings most likely did a lot of carrying to and fro with the move.

We have the above picture from about 1887- the date estimate is calculated from ages of the children, with baby Roy being born 29 October of 1886, we can guess he is over 3 months old so the picture was likely taken in 1887. Then we have a gap of about five years, from 1887-1892, when we know very little about what was going on with the family, other than some articles about Will’s father conducting auctions around the county. (Sadly the 1890 US Federal Censuses were destroyed.) By 1892, Will was about to open a new chapter of his life, and it is there that we will pick up the story on another day.

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. See references within article.

 

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Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.
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Military Monday: McMurrays and a Benjamin in the Iowa National Guard of 1898

William E. McMurray, Harry J. McMurray, and Roland E. Benjamin as part of the Iowa National Guard at Newton, 1898, via “Past and Present of Jasper County, Iowa,” 1912, page 224, via archive.org.

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

President William McKinley signed the proclamation declaring war on Spain on 23 April 1898. What we know as the Spanish-American War officially began as this demand by the US that Spain give up all authority and its government in Cuba, withdraw its land and naval forces, and allow the people of that small island nation their full independence. The war really began earlier in the year though, when the US sent the USS Maine to Cuba to protect our citizens and interests from the civil unrest that was happening. There was an explosion on the Maine on the evening of 15 Feb 1898 while it was anchored in Havana Harbor, and the ship sunk, killing 250 of 355 American soldiers on board. There is still no proof that the explosion was caused by outside sources, and no definitive proof that it wasn’t, but the incident ignited public opinion in the US against Spain in 1898.

Of course, one cannot have a war without soldiers, so the day before, 22 Apr 1898, Congress had authorized a temporary act to increase military forces. The President then issued his proclamation for volunteers to serve a term of two years.

Newton, Iowa, already had a National Guard unit that included three of our family members. Twenty-three years old and unmarried in 1898, William Elmer McMurray (1874-1957), would later became the father of Dr. Edward A. McMurray. Will was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Guard.

Harry James McMurray (1876-1962) was just 21 years old, and the brother of Will McMurray. He was not married.

Roland E. Benjamin (1868-1950?) was the nephew of our ancestor Sylvanus Rufus “S.R.” Benjamin; S.R. was the grandfather of Will and Harry, so they were all three cousins of some complicated degree. Roland was married, but did not have children in 1898.

Some of those who served in the Iowa National Guard did go off to the Spanish-American War, but none of these family members, and not a very large number from Newton. The official war only lasted ten weeks, and helped to bring our post-Civil War citizens together to fight a common foe. The US became a world power as it interceded in this war, and gained the Spanish colonies of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Life in Newton, Iowa, likely went on as it had for many years. But we do need to reflect on the potential sacrifice our ancestors knew they might make when they signed up as part of the Iowa National Guard.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. “Past and Present of Jasper County, Iowa,” 1912, page 224, via archive.org.
  2. “Spanish-American War,” wikipedia– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish–American_War

 

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.

Original content copyright 2013-2018 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
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Funeral Card Friday: Fannie Margaret (McMurray) Emery Maytag

McMurray Family (Click for Family Tree)

There are six McMurray men listed as pallbearers on this funeral card, so how are they related to Mrs. Lewis R. Maytag? Pallbearers are usually kin or very close friends, but since these are all the same surname, it suggests they were all family to the deceased.

Knowing the family history, the name ‘Wm. McMurray’ stands out, but there were a number of Williams in the family! Roy McMurray and Ray McMurray give great clues to help us determine which William, as they are 1) unique names in the line; and 2) they were the brothers of our ancestor Will McMurray (who was the father of Dr. Edward A. McMurray, Maude “Midge” (McMurray) Cook, and Herbert McMurray). Along with the year of the funeral, having Roy and Ray in the list gives us clues as to the age of the pallbearers- usually they are young or middle-aged men who can handle the weight of a coffin.

Looking at our previous research, we note that William Elmer McMurray (1874-1957), Harry James McMurray (1876-1962), Roy McMurray (1884-1973), and Ray McMurray (1886-1979) were the four sons of Frederick Asbury “F.A.” McMurray (1850-1929) and Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray (1854-1932). There was a daughter in the family too- Addie “Belle” (McMurray) Gillespie (1879-1958). Belle was married to Forrest Gillespie, a dentist, and they lived in Oak Park, Illinois, though we cannot find them in any 1940 US Federal Census. They may have also attended the funeral.

William Elmer McMurray was the oldest pallbearer at 66 in 1940, so still of an age to be a pallbearer.

The only Glen McMurray in the family tree I have researched is Glen Arthur McMurray (1893-1977), son of John Wesley McMurray (1852-1903) and Hattie (Wiltbank) McMurray (1859-1937). John Wesley was the brother of F.A. McMurray, thus Glen was a cousin of Will, Harry, Roy, and Ray. Starting to see a pattern?

The pattern is confirmed when we search for a Dewey McMurray in the family tree.  Dewy Henderson McMurray (1898-1992) was the son of James Turner McMurray (1854-1948), also a brother of F. A. McMurray, so again, a cousin to Will McMurray and his siblings. This Dewey would have been 42 at the time of the funeral, so could have been a pallbearer. His son, Dewey H. McMurray, Jr. (1922-1997), may have been the pallbearer instead, though he was just 18. (Interestingly, both Deweys served their country in the military- Dewey Sr. in the Marines in World War I, and Dewey Jr. was to serve in the Army just a few years after this funeral, in World War II.)

Initially, seeing that all the pallbearers were of the same surname might suggest that the maiden name of the deceased was McMurray too. Knowing that the pallbearers were all cousins descended from three sons of Henderson McMurray (1819-1906) and Mary Ann (Horn) McMurray (1824-1891), it is reasonable to suspect that the deceased, Mrs. Lewis R. Maytag, was the aunt of the pallbearers, or the sister of the three sons, and indeed she is. Her birth name was Fannie Margaret McMurray, and she was the baby of the family. She was born in Wilton Junction, Cedar County, Iowa, but by age 3 her family moved to Newton, Jasper County, Iowa, in 1870.

Her given name changed with the records: Maggie, Margaret, Margaret F., or Fannie. Her married name changed too, as she married first, Burdette R. Emery, probably around 1898, but they divorced and she married Lewis R. Maytag in 1915at age 47. (It was his second marriage too.) Maggie had two children with her first husband: Blanche Ellen Emery (1890-1946) and John Henderson Emery (1895-1957).

If you are putting together the puzzle pieces as we go and if you know very much about Newton, Iowa, you know that ‘Maytag’ is an important name in the town- yes, that Maytag. Maytag Park, the Maytag Hotel, Maytag cheese, AND the ‘Automatic Washer Company’ that later became Maytag (and more recently was bought out by Whirlpool- who sadly closed the Iowa plant which had a huge negative impact on the town). Margaret’s husband Lewis was the brother of Frederick Louis Maytag, inventor of many products and founder of a number of companies, ranging from animal feeders to washing machines and even cars. In 1920, Margaret and Lewis were in McAllen, Texas for the census, and they were listed with no occupations. By 1930, however, they were in Marshalltown, Iowa, and Lewis was the proprietor of a washing machine store, at age 71. (Wonder what brand they carried?) By 1940, though, they were truly retired, but Margaret passed away at the end of that year at age 73.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1. A special ‘thank you’ to our dear cousin Cindi who scanned these funeral cards and shared!
  2. See also “Friday’s Faces from the Past: The McMurray-Benjamin Family for a sweet photo of the pallbearers when they were young.   http://heritageramblings.net/2015/07/17/fridays-faces-from-the-past-the-mcmurray-benjamin-family/
  3. Various census, marriage, etc. records in our family tree that has been researched for more years than I care to admit.
  4. “Frederick Louis Maytag”–https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Louis_Maytag_I

 

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Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted. 
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Five Family Photos for Friday- Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray

Hannah Melissa Benjamin with her great-grandson, Edward A. McMurray, Jr., about 1926.
Hannah Melissa Benjamin with her great-grandson, Edward A. McMurray, Jr., taken about 1926.

The above photo was in with McMurray family pictures that I have seen all my life. My family thought that the youngster was Edward A. McMurray, Jr., but he was not sure who the woman was with him. He always said, “I can’t remember that far back.”

In the last decade of his life, we went through the photos another time. He looked at this one intently, again puzzled as to who the woman was. For years I had been intrigued with his great-grandmother, Hannah Melissa Benjamin- I had never seen a picture of her, but had been born 100 years and two months after her, and just loved her name. Knowing the year that the picture was probably taken due to Ed’s age, I combed through the possibilities of who it could be; Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray was the best possibility. I asked, “Do you think it could be your great-grandmother, Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray?” He looked up, surprised, and replied that it was indeed her, and he remembered that she was very, very stern. Melissa, as she was known, died when he was just eight, so that was the only thing he could remember about her.

Hannah Melissa Benjamin, possibly circa 1910? She was 56 in 1910.
Hannah Melissa Benjamin, possibly circa 1910? She was 56 in 1910.

Hannah Melissa Benjamin was born to Sylvanus Rufus Benjamin and Sarah Ann Palmer on 03 Aug 1854 in Burlington, Licking County, Ohio. Licking County was a big transportation center at that time, especially after the Ohio Canal had been completed.

In 1865 or 1866 the family moved to Jasper County, Iowa. They lived on a farm about four miles northeast of Newton. In 1870, her father owned a large amount of land- he had the highest real estate value of any other household listed on the census page.

 

Melissa married Frederick Asbury “F. A.” McMurray in Jasper County, Iowa, on 18 September 1873. FA was an auctioneer who cried sales throughout the area. They had five children: William E. (1874-1957, marr Lynette Payne, had 3 children); Harry James (1876-1962, marr. Emma Tripp, no children); Addie Belle (1879-1958, marr. Forest Gillespie, no children); Roy (1884-1973, marr. Emma Hotger, no children); and Ray (1886-1979, marr. Elizabeth “Bessie” Catherine Blackwell, no children), all born in Jasper County.

Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray, possibly 1915 or 1920?
Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray, possibly 1915 or 1920?

F. A. McMurray died on 12 Dec 1929, leaving Melissa alone for almost three years. Melissa may be found in the 1930 US Federal Census, age 76, and living at 310 E. 4th St. N in Newton. She had a housekeeper and two lodgers living with her, and her home was worth $8,000.

Headstone of Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray in Newton Union Cemetery, Newton, Jasper County, Iowa.
Headstone of Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray in Newton Union Cemetery, Newton, Jasper County, Iowa.

Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray died on 09 Nov 1932 in Newton. She is buried in Newton Union Cemetery, along with her husband and many other Benjamins.

Benjamin Family Headstone Grouping in Newton Union Cemetery, Newton, Jasper County, Iowa.
Benjamin Family Headstone Grouping in Newton Union Cemetery, Newton, Jasper County, Iowa.

[NOTE: Post edited 3/21/14 to add death dates for William, Roy, and Ray McMurray.]

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) 1870 US Federal Census for Sylvanus R. Benjamin, head of household: Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Newton, Jasper, Iowa; Roll: M593_398; Page: 370A; Image: 380; Family History Library Film: 545897.

2) John Benjamin Obituary: The Newton Record, Thursday, May 24, 1900 Page 1, Column 2.

3) My Find A Grave Memorial #28154269 for Hannah Melissa (Benjamin) McMurray: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=28154269

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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.