Jeremiah Henry Murphy

Who was Jeremiah Henry Murphy?

Jeremiah Henry Murphy was a two-term Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd congressional district.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Murphy moved with his parents to Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, in 1849, and to Iowa County, Iowa, in 1852. He attended the Boston public schools and Appleton University. He was graduated from the University of Iowa at Iowa City in 1857. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar in 1858 and commenced practice in Marengo, Iowa.

Murphy was elected alderman in 1860. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1864 and 1868. In 1867, he moved to Davenport, Iowa and continued the practice of law.

Murphy was elected mayor of Davenport in 1873 and again in 1878. He served one term as member of the Iowa Senate from 1874 to 1878. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1876 to represent Iowa's 2nd congressional district in the Forty-fifth Congress.

In 1882, Murphy again ran for Congress, challenging a freshman incumbent Republican, Sewall S. Farwell. After Murphy won the general election, he took his seat in the 48th United States Congress.