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Murray, William Pitt "W.P., Wm. P., Bill"

Territorial House 1852-53 (District 2); Territorial Council 1854-55 (District 2); Territorial House 1857 (District 2); Democratic Constitutional Convention 1857 (District 2); House 1863 (District 1); Senate 1866-67; House 1868 (District 1); Senate 1875-76 (District 23)

Party when first elected:  People's

Counties Served:  Ramsey

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 6/21/1825 (uncertain)
Birth Place: Hamilton, Ohio
Birth County: Butler
Birth Country: United States
Date of Death: 6/20/1910
Gender: Male
Religion:
Reported Minority: None Reported
Other Names: W.P., Wm. P., Bill
Alternate Spelling of Last Name: Murry
City of Residence (when first elected): Saint Paul
Occupation (when first elected): Lawyer

EDUCATION

Ohio Public Schools; Elementary School;
Ohio Public Schools; Secondary; until the age of 17
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio; Attended College; 2 Years
Studied Law; Office of Oliver P. Morton
Indiana University, Law Department; Law Degree; 1848-Spring 1849; Admitted to the Bar, 1849

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

County Attorney: Ramsey County, Minnesota; 18?? to 1???
County Board/Commissioner: Ramsey County, Minnesota (County Commissioner); 18?? to 1???
Territorial Democratic Constitutional Convention: 2nd Council District, Minnesota Territory; 07/13/1857 to 08/29/1857 [Elected]
Municipal Council/Aldermen: St. Paul, Minnesota (City Council); 1861 to 1868
Municipal Council/Aldermen: St. Paul, Minnesota (City Council; President, Six Years); 1870 to 1879
Municipal Attorney: St. Paul, Minnesota (City Attorney); 1876 to 1889

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Married
Children:
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:

GENERAL NOTES

Toensing and Minnesota Place Names list his birth year as 1825. Minnesota in Three Centuries lists 1827. History of Minnesota: from the French Explorations to the Present Time, 1873 lists him as being 28 years old in 1854.

He was of Irish ancestry.

He came to St. Paul, Minnesota on December 24, 1849.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Territorial House in the 1850 election.

He was an unsuccessful Democratic party candidate for the Minnesota Legislature in the 1864 election.

"But in 1851, he was elected to that body on the People's Ticket...The next year he was again elected to the House on the Democratic ticket." (Minnesota in Three Centuries, Vol. 2., p. 459). He is listed as a member of the People's Ticket in the 1851 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 317)

He was one of the members elected in the 1858 election to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives in the 1858-1859 session. That session was never called. A note in the Legislative Manual for the State of Minnesota 1881 (p. 180) states that due to the protracted session of 1857-58 the winter of 1858-59 meeting of the legislature was unnecessary.

Murray County, Minnesota was named after him.

He died in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Total Days Served: 3613

SESSIONS SERVED

18th Legislative Session (1876)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 23
Elected: 11/3/1874
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1875 to 1/1/1877
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Not Available
Committees:
  • Claims
  • Federal Relations
  • Insane Asylum
  • Joint Apportionment
  • Joint University
  • Printing
  • State Reform School

17th Legislative Session (1875)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 23
Elected: 11/3/1874
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1875 to 1/1/1877
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Not Available
Committees:
  • Claims
  • Federal Relations
  • Printing
  • State Reform School

10th Legislative Session (1868)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 01
Elected: 11/5/1867
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1868 to 1/7/1868 (unfinished term)
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Democratic
Committees:
Reason for unfinished term: Other - See Notes
Session Notes: In A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 461, it says he was "elected, but did not take his seat." The Minnesota Legislative Manual, 1868, p. 78 lists him as being absent.

9th Legislative Session (1867)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 01
Elected: 11/6/1866
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/8/1867 to 1/6/1868
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Democratic
Committees:
  • Change of Names
  • Federal Relations
  • Joint State Railroad Bonds Special
  • Printing
  • Public Buildings and Grounds
  • Railroads

8th Legislative Session (1866)

  Session Details
Body: Senate
District: 01
Elected: 11/7/1865
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/2/1866 to 1/7/1867
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Not Available
Committees:
  • Claims
  • Corporations
  • Federal Relations
  • Joint Re-apportionment Special
  • Judiciary
  • Railroads

5th Legislative Session (1863)

  Session Details
Body: House
District: 01
Elected: 11/4/1862
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/6/1863 to 1/4/1864
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Not Available
Committees:
  • Emigration
  • Indian Affairs
  • State Prison
  • Ways and Means

8th Territorial Legislative Session (1857)

  Session Details
Body: Territorial House
District: 02
Elected: 10/14/1856
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1857 to 12/1/1857
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Democratic Party Notes: He is listed as a Democrat in the 1856 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 366)
Committees:
  • Elections (Chair)
  • Incorporations

6th Territorial Legislative Session (1855)

  Session Details
Body: Territorial Council
District: 02
Elected: 10/12/1853
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/4/1854 to 1/1/1856
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Democratic Party Notes: He is listed as a Democrat in the 1853 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 346)
Committees:
  • Enrolled Bills
  • Incorporations (Chair)
  • Judiciary
  • Legislative Expenditures
  • Schools
  • Territorial Affairs
  • Territorial Expenditures
Leadership Position: President of the Territorial Council
Leadership Notes: Samuel Baldwin Olmstead was elected President of the Territorial Council on January 4, 1855. He resigned on February 16, 1855 and William Pitt Murray was elected to fill the vacancy on that same day.

5th Territorial Legislative Session (1854)

  Session Details
Body: Territorial Council
District: 02
Elected: 10/12/1853
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/4/1854 to 1/1/1856
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Democratic Party Notes: He is listed as a Democrat in the 1853 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 346)
Committees:
  • Incorporations
  • Judiciary (Chair)
  • Printing
  • Schools (Chair)
  • Territorial Expenditures

4th Territorial Legislative Session (1853)

  Session Details
Body: Territorial House
District: 02
Elected: 10/12/1852
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/5/1853 to 1/3/1854
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Democratic Party Notes: "But in 1851, he was elected to that body on the People's Ticket...The next year he was again elected to the House on the Democratic ticket." (Minnesota in Three Centuries, Vol. 2., p. 459). He is listed as a Democrat in the 1852 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 331)
Committees:
  • Engrossed Bills
  • Judiciary
  • Schools

3rd Territorial Legislative Session (1852)

  Session Details
Body: Territorial House
District: 02
Elected: 10/14/1851
Residence: Saint Paul
Term of Office: 1/7/1852 to 1/4/1853
Counties Represented: Ramsey
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: People's Party Notes: "But in 1851, he was elected to that body on the People's Ticket...The next year he was again elected to the House on the Democratic ticket." (Minnesota in Three Centuries, Vol. 2., p. 459). He is listed as a member of the People's Ticket in the 1851 election. (A History of the City of St. Paul to 1875, 1983 edition, by J. Fletcher Williams, p. 317)
Committees:
  • Judiciary (Chair)
  • Militia
  • Territorial Expenditures (Chair)
Articles & Books About
"Murray County." Minnesota Place Names (Electronic Resource), St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society.


These files are available in the Legislative Reference Library.