Magnus Miller Murray
| Magnus Miller Murray | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Magnus Miller Murray, c. 1828–1832 | |
| 6th Mayor of Pittsburgh | |
|
In office 1831–1832 | |
| Preceded by | Matthew B. Lowrie |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Pettigrew |
| 4th Mayor of Pittsburgh | |
|
In office 1828–1830 | |
| Preceded by | John M. Snowden |
| Succeeded by | Matthew B. Lowrie |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 22, 1787 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | March 4, 1838 (aged 51) |
| Resting place | Allegheny Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Wilkins |
| Relations |
Alexander Murray (father) William Wilkins (uncle) |
| Children | James Butler Murray |
Magnus Miller Murray (February 22, 1787 – March 4, 1838), served as the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1828 to 1830 and again from 1831 to 1832. Mayor Murray now rests in Section 19, Lot 29 of Allegheny Cemetery.
Early life
Murray was born in Philadelphia, to Commodore Alexander Murray and Mary Miller Murray. He was named after his maternal grandfather, Magnus Miller, a local merchant. He attended Pennsylvania University, earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in an era when many statesmen had only a grade school education. On January 6, 1806 he was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar. He married Mary Wilkens, daughter of John Wilkins, Jr. and Catherine Reagan Murray on February 23, 1810.
Pittsburgh politics
Murray began politics as an understudy to his uncle, area judge and political insider William Wilkins.
Under Murray's mayoral administration, the Western Terminus of the Pennsylvania Canal was completed along the Grant Street corridor of the city. Murray was the first of a handful of Pittsburgh mayors to serve two non-consecutive terms in office, having to cede control of the mayor's office to Matthew B. Lowrie from 1830 to 1831, before regaining his mayoral powers.
Honors
Mayor Magnus Murray's son, James Butler Murray, President of the First Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh is remembered in the naming of Murray Avenue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood.
Membership
Member of The Society of the Cincinnati as the oldest male heir of Commodore Alexander Murray.
References
- Killikelly, S. (1906). The History of Pittsburgh: Its Rise and Progress. Pittsburgh: B.C. & Gordon Montgomery Co.
- Martin, J. (1883). Martin's Bench and Bar of Philadelphia, Philadelphia: R. Welsh & co., (1883)
| Preceded by John M. Snowden |
Mayor of Pittsburgh 1828–1830 |
Succeeded by Matthew Lowrie |
| Preceded by Matthew Lowrie |
Mayor of Pittsburgh 1831–1832 |
Succeeded by Samuel Pettigrew |
|