Bernard D. Murphy

Bernard "Barney" Daniel Murphy also known as B. D. Murphy, was a Canadian-born American lawyer, businessman and politician. He was a member of the California State Assembly, a California State Senator, and the Mayor of San Jose, California for two terms. The Murphy family were early settlers in California, and founders of early Santa Clara Valley.

Early life, family and education

Bernard "Barney" Daniel Murphy was born on March 1, 1841, in Quebec, Lower Canada. His father Martin Murphy Jr. was born in Wexford, Ireland. His older brother Patrick W. Murphy was also a politician who served in the same legislative house concurrently. When Bernard was 3 years old the Murphy family crossed the Sierra Nevada into California.
They were early settlers in California, and founders of early Santa Clara Valley. In 1846, his grandfather purchased the Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche. At age 9, his family homestead and the Martin Murphy House was founded in what is present-day Sunnyvale, California, near Mountain View, California.
Murphy graduated with honors in 1865 from Santa Clara College.
In 1869, he married Anna Lucy McGeoghegan, and together they had 6 children.

Murphy passed the California State Bar exam in 1868. He was a member of the Sainte Claire Club, and a member and vice president of the Society of California Pioneers.
Murphy was active within the Democratic Party. In 1869, he was elected to the California State Assembly, representing Santa Clara County. He was instrumental in the establishment of the San Jose Normal School.
He served two terms as Mayor of San Jose, starting in 1873. During his first term as mayor he donated his salary to help form the first San Jose Public Library.
On September 7, 1877, Murphy was elected as a California State Senator representing Santa Clara County. He was one of the people instrumental in the establishment of the Lick Observatory, and the road built to the site. He served on the board of trustees of the Lick Trust from 1875. This trust had been set up initially by James Lick in 1874 but he replaced the board with Murphy, Faxon Atherton, John Nightingale, and John H. Lick.
He was one of the founders of the San Luis Obispo Water Company.