Moulden- Maxwell - Murphy - Cemetery
Murphy, Collin Co.,
Cemeteries
of TX
Submitted by Patricia Nall
Moulden Cemetery 33.019 N 96.605 W
Murphy/Maxwell Cemetery 33.022 N 96.605 W
The Maxwell/Murphy Cemetery was started in the late 1840s, possibly when James Maxwell, Sr. died. The earliest marked grave is dated 1852. Henry Maxwell mentions helping with the burial. In 1886, while a resident of Coryell County, Texas, James Maxwell, Jr. sold three acres of land for $5 for a public cemetery to trustees C. A. McMillan, H. Willaford, and W. Brinson. The deed states that the cemetery is known as the Maxwell Cemetery. Members of the families of all three trustees are buried in the cemetery. McMillan and Willaford were part of the original Maxwell wagon train. The cemetery was deeded right before the railroad came through Murphy.
Moulden/Murphy Family Cemetery.
Thomas Moulden married Polly McMillen, sister of Comfort McMillen. He died
before his family came to Texas with the other McMillens. One of th Moulden sons
married Susan Murphy, a daughter of William Murphy, for whom Murphy is named.
William Murphy is buried here, along with about 30 family members.
Murphy Chamber of Commerce
http://murphychamber.org/about-murphy.php
Murphy, Texas
Compiled by David Boyd
http://www.chancy.org/collin/society/murphy.htm
Murphy, Texas had several names during early settlement. Among these are Rowlett and Muddy Creek but McMillan called the town that sprang up closeby “Old Decatur” in honor of his hometown. “ Decatur had a gin, a church and a school, three physicians, and the general store,” one historian has observed (Zavitz).
The name changed from Decatur to Maxwell Branch to avoid confusion with Decatur , Texas , being the county seat of Wise. Ben P. McPherson was the first postmaster of Maxwell Branch, which was alternatively called Maxwell School . McPherson was a settler who came from Kentucky . It was the home of his daughter, Mrs. D. C. George, which was taken to Old City Park in Dallas and is preserved to this day.
In 1888, the St. Louis and Southwestern Railroad built its right of way through William Murphy’s land and the town got its third name, Murphy, Texas.
The Murphys had five daughters, Susan, Mary, Ann, Kate or Dorothy and five sons, James B. (T?), William J., Franklin Pierce, Pleasant W. and John H. William Murphy’s daughter, Susan, married James Lilburn Moulden in 1866. He was later to be Collin County Sheriff from 1893 to 1897. William Murphy founded the Moulden Cemetery in 1872. The local cemetery at Old Decatur was full and Murphy had to bury his sister, Susan Murphy Emerton on his own land.