Murphy, Jesse

Born: 1792-02-06 Tennessee

Died: 1865-11-03 Taylorville, Illinois

Flourished: Christian County, Illinois

Jesse Murphy moved to the area that would become Christian County, Illinois, in 1829. He purchased a farm two miles west of Taylorville. In 1831, he taught school in the area of Horseshoe Prairie. He was instrumental in convincing the Illinois General Assembly to establish Christian County. When county elections were held in April 1839, he served as election clerk for Allenton. In April 1839, he received appointment as the first collector for the county commissioners' court. The court re-appointed him in August 1841. In August 1843, Christian County voters elected him county assessor and treasurer, and re-elected him to the same post in August 1847. By 1850, he was farming on real estate valued at $1,500. In 1856, he won election as county coroner, a position he held until 1858.

History of Christian County, Illinois (Philadelphia: Brink, McDonough, 1880), 33, 34, 53, 56, 65; Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales, Christian County, 145:55, 69, 73, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Christian County, IL, 130.