Representative Samuel Murdock View All Years

JUDGE SAMUEL MURDOCK was born near Pittsburg, Pa., March 13, 1817, and died at his residence in Elkader, Iowa, January 26, 1897. He came to Garnavillo, Clayton county, Iowa, and bought a farm in the year 1843. He remained there until 1876, when he removed to Elkader, which was his home until the day of his death. He was well known as one of the early legislators and jurists of Iowa. He was elected to the last territorial legislature in 1845, and to the State legislature in 1869. In the spring of 1855 he was elected judge of the Tenth Judicial District, which included ten counties in northeastern Iowa. Aside from his professional culture Judge Murdock possessed a wide knowledge of agriculture, horticulture, geology and natural history. Clayton and Allamakee counties had been the home of the mound-builders and no man in our State has ever made more thorough investigations in that direction. His interesting collection of pre-historic stone implements was purchased by the State and is now in the Historical Department. He also owned a large geological collection which had been made by himself. He was a ready writer and very familiar with the early pioneers, not only of his own county but of the State at large. No man in Iowa has written finer or more truly appreciative biographical sketches of pioneers whom he knew than Judge Murdock. Really these sketches possessed so much merit, that they ought to be gathered into some permanent form of publication. They would make a valuable book. He was a genial, abiding, true friend, surpassed by very few us a conversationalist, and always a pleasant man to meet. No one could pass an hour in his company without being benefited by his large stores of information. This is but the briefest statement of his many excellent qualities. We trust that some friend more thoroughly informed than the writer, will yet prepare a biographical sketch for THE ANNALS, which shall do justice to the memory of that grand old man.