Home of Martin Murphy Jr.
Sunnyvale, Santa Clara County, California
Marker Inscription
Home of Martin Murphy Jr. Martin Murphy, Jr., arrived in California with his family in 1844 in the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada. The founder of Sunnyvale, he constructed here his house of pre-fabricated lumber, brought around the Horn in 1849. Members of the Murphy family lived here continuously until 1953, when the property was acquired by the City of Sunnyvale. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 644 Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the City of Sunnyvale and the Sunnyvale Historical Society. May 22, 1960.
Erected by California State Park Commission
The Story
Martin Murphy Jr. reached California in 1844 as part of the first wagon train to haul across the Sierra Nevada, an arduous crossing that opened the overland route. Settling in the Santa Clara Valley, he founded Sunnyvale and built his home here from prefabricated lumber shipped around Cape Horn in 1849. The Murphy family lived on the property for more than a century, until the city acquired it in 1953.
Why it matters
Murphy's crossing and settlement mark a founding chapter of American California, when overland pioneers transformed the valley from ranchland into future cities.
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Related people
- · Martin Murphy Jr.
Related events
- · First wagon train across the Sierra Nevada
Themes & tags
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