James Murphy
| James Murphy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| James Murphy, mayoral portrait, c. 1907 | |
| Born | 1863-08-15 West Liberty, Muscatine County, Iowa |
| Died | 1928-06-15 Fort William, Ontario |
| Occupation | Coal merchant, politician |
James Murphy (15 August 1863 – 15 June 1928 (aged 64)) was a coal merchant and politician in Fort William, Ontario, who served as the first mayor of the City of Fort William from 1907 to 1908.
Early life and career
Murphy was born on 15 August 1863 in West Liberty, Muscatine County, Iowa.[1] He moved to Winnipeg in 1882, where he was employed by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Fuel Department.[1] He then relocated to Port Arthur at the age of 21 to work for the newly incorporated Dominion Coal, Coke and Transportation Co.[1]
Murphy quickly rose through the company, becoming foreman and, by 1886, contractor for all of the company's coal.[1] When the CPR moved its coal-handling operations to Fort William, Murphy followed and ran their coal dock on the Kaministiquia River until August 1903.[1]
Business interests
In August 1903, Murphy opened his own coal-handling dock and yard, establishing the James Murphy Coal Company.[1][2] The company supplied coal to the CPR and became a significant commercial enterprise in Fort William.[2] He later established the Western Navigation Co. Ltd. in partnership with his brother Harry Murphy, served as president of the Western Stevedore Company, operated tug boats, and was active in real estate.[1] He also became president of the Daily Times Journal.[2]
Political career
Murphy embarked on his political career in 1898, when he was appointed Commissioner of Electric Light and Water.[1] In August 1905, following the resignation of two aldermen, Murphy and George Graham were elected to Council in a by-election, and Murphy continued to serve as councillor through 1906.[1]
In 1907, Murphy was elected mayor of Fort William. When Fort William was incorporated as a city that same year, he had the distinction of becoming its first mayor.[1] He was re-elected in 1908 and served a second term.[1] During his mayoralty, Fort William saw the construction of its first high school on Marks Street, the establishment of the first Police Commission in 1907, the opening of the Loch Lomond Tunnel, and the beginning of major sewer construction.[1] Both his brother Harry and his son Eugene subsequently served as Mayor of Fort William as well.[1]
Murphy Mansion
Murphy sought to build a mansion for his family at 431 Selkirk Street South in Fort William. Construction began in 1912 but was halted by the First World War; the house was ultimately completed between 1914 and 1919.[2] The architect was Robert Ethelbert Mason.[2]
The mansion stands three and a half stories high and is generally considered to be styled in the English Gothic and Tudor styles. It features gray limestone on the first floor and gray brick on the upper floors, encompassing 15,000 square feet in total. The front features a projecting portico leading to the main entrance, and the house is topped by a green-glazed terra-cotta tile roof imported from Italy; Simpson Island stone was used in the home itself and for the chimney.[2]
Following Murphy's death in 1928, his sons continued to operate the coal business. In 1946, the house was renovated and subdivided into five apartments, with the Murphy family residing on the first floor.[2] When the last of Murphy's line passed away in 1958, the house passed to Frank Murphy's wife, Charlotte MacGillivary.[2]
In 1985, the James Murphy Residence became the first private home placed on the Municipal Heritage Register by the City of Thunder Bay, with Charlotte in attendance at the ceremony.[2] In 1986, the home was sold to Hammarskjold High School teacher Bruno Valente.[2] When Valente bought the property in 1986, he wasn't buying a single-family luxury palace; he was purchasing an income-producing multi-family investment property. The rental income from the other apartments would have been factored into his mortgage approval, making the purchase highly accessible on a steady teaching salary.
Massive, aging heritage homes in Northern Ontario often sell for much less than their size and grandeur would suggest because they come with staggering maintenance liabilities. Heating a 15,000-square-foot century-old stone building through a long winter, maintaining the imported Italian green-glazed terra-cotta roof, and dealing with aging plumbing and electrical systems for five separate units is an enormous financial drain. The purchase price of such properties usually reflects these daunting upkeep costs, which scare off most traditional homebuyers. Valente himself has publicly noted how challenging and expensive it has been to maintain the property.
In 2019, a celebration was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the mansion's completion.[2]
Death
Murphy died on 15 June 1928 in Fort William, Ontario, at the age of 65.[1] His estate was probated in the Thunder Bay District surrogate court and inventoried at $750,851.39. He died testate, leaving a will, and was survived by four children.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 "Mayor James Murphy", City of Thunder Bay. [1]
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 "Murphy Mansion: A History", Thunder Bay Public Library Research Blog, 25 November 2024. [2]
- ↑ Probate record of James Murphy, Coal Merchant, Fort William (1928), surrogate court probate file no. 2116. Canadian Regional Historical Wealth Micro-Data Collection, compiled by Livio Di Matteo, Lakehead University.
External links
- Mayor James Murphy — City of Thunder Bay
- Murphy Mansion: A History — Thunder Bay Public Library Research Blog