Alexander Howison Murray Jr. (1907–1993), known as Sandy Murray, was a two-time mayor of
Placerville, California
Placerville (, ; formerly Old Dry Diggings, Dry Diggings, and Hangtown) is a city in and the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,747 as of the 2020 census, up from 10,389 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Sa ...
and three-time president of the county's chamber of commerce, who championed regional development, including the building of
U.S. Route 50 in California
U.S. Route 50 (US 50) is a transcontinental United States Numbered Highway, stretching from West Sacramento, California, in the west to Ocean City, Maryland, in the east. The California portion of US 50 runs east from Interstate 80 (I ...
(US 50) and was a regular page-one name in the ''
Placerville Mountain Democrat
The ''Placerville Mountain Democrat'' (known locally as the ''Mountain Democrat'' or simply ''Democrat'') is the newspaper of El Dorado County, California, based in Placerville and is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the State of Ca ...
''.
[
]
Background
Alexander Howison Murray Jr. was born on April 18, 1907, in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
. His parents were Scottish-American Alexander Howison Murray, Sr., and Spanish-Irish-American Katharine da la Ossa Kevane. He was also a fifth-generation "
Californio
Californio (plural Californios) is a term used to designate a Hispanic Californians, Hispanic Californian, especially those descended from Spanish and Mexican settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries. California's Spanish language, Spanish-s ...
" descended from
Eulalia Pérez de Guillén Mariné
Eulalia Pérez de Guillén Mariné (1766? – June 11, 1878) was a Californio who was ''mayordoma'' of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel and grantee of Rancho del Rincón de San Pascual in the San Rafael Hills, in present-day Los Angeles County, Cali ...
(1766–1878). In 1924, Murray graduated
Long Beach High School. He studied economics the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
(which he reached by boat or train from Long Beach).
[ He graduated a year late in 1930 due to financial pressures brought on by the Great Depression (which started in 1929).][
]
Career
In 1930, Murray took a trip with college friends to Placerville, where he met his future wife, Isadeen Raffetto. He returned to live there (1934–1991).[
]
Business
In 1929, Murray got a job with Union Oil Company
Union Oil Company of California, and its holding company Unocal Corporation, together known as Unocal was a major petroleum explorer and marketer in the late 19th century, through the 20th century, and into the early 21st century. It was headqu ...
in Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Located in the Inland Empire region of California, the population was 25,415 at the 2020 census. Barstow is an important crossroads for the In ...
. In 1934, he moved to his wife's hometown of Placerville, where they bought and ran Murray's stationery
Stationery refers to commercially manufactured writing materials, including cut paper, envelopes, writing implements, continuous form paper, and other office supplies. Stationery includes materials to be written on by hand (e.g., letter paper ...
store (a landmark business founded by J.C. O'Donnell as a tobacco shop in 1888) at 311 Main Street until 1949.[
][
] In 1944 during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, he joined in the US Navy through 1945; his wife ran the store in his absence. In June 1949, they sold the stationery store to Edward H. Durbin, following Murray's purchase of the El Dorado Distributing company from George Yeager.[ From 1949 until retirement, he operated El Dorado Distributing, a beverage wholesaling business that introduced into northeastern California and western Nevada the wines of ]Charles Krug
Charles Krug (1825–1892) was among the pioneers of winemaking in the Napa Valley, California, and was the founder of the Charles Krug Winery.
Biography
Charles Krug visited the United States from Prussia in 1847, and became a citizen in 1852. ...
, Robert Mondavi
Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913 – May 16, 2008) was an American winemaker. His technical and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi promoted lab ...
, Paul Masson
Paul Masson (1859 – October 22, 1940) was an early pioneer of California viticulture known for his brand of Californian sparkling wine.
Biography
Masson emigrated from the Burgundy region of France in 1878 (at the age of 19) to Californi ...
, and Ernest
Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include:
People
* Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
*Ernest, ...
and Julio Gallo.[ By 1975, Murray had retired from business.][
]
Politics
In 1942, Murray became mayor of Placerville for the first time. In April 1946, Murray ran un-opposed for Placerville City Council. In April 1948, he was re-elected to city council. From 1950 to 1952, he served a second term as mayor of Placerville.[ In 1976, he ran and won a council seat again. Later that year, Murray and fellow councilmen Andy Anderson and Mark Tetrault came under fire from the mayor and other councilmen for leading a 3–2 vote in an amendment to reduce appointive powers of the city manager. Murray was among several councilors recalled in March 1977.
In the late 1940s, Murray led town officials in a successfully campaign to have US 50 constructed through Placerville, which the State of California completed in 1953. "To help draw attention to the highway and promote businesses along it, he helped organize the first ' Forty-Niner' Festival and Wagon Train (or Wagon Caravan) event in 1949,"][ which he supported annually as late as 1962 when he served as "chairman for the annual Highway 50 Snow Ball." He continued to support the highway by serving on the board of the National Highway 50 federation with California Senator Swift Berry as chairman.
In 1975, Murray took out papers to run again for city council.][ In the late 1980s, Murray was still weighing in on town affairs. In a letter to the editor of the ''Mountain Democrat'' dated May 19, 1986, he praised El Dorado County Supervisor Bob Dorr as well as the ''Mountain Democrat'' itself over the issue of "toxic polluters."
In another letter dated June 8, 1987, he called on fellow citizens to rally support for a ]South Fork American River
The South Fork American River is a major tributary of the American River in El Dorado County, California, draining a watershed on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada east of Sacramento. The river begins in pristine Desolation Wilderness and ...
(SOFAR) project. (The South Fork American River is a major tributary of the American River
, name_etymology =
, image = American River CA.jpg
, image_size = 300
, image_caption = The American River at Folsom
, map = Americanrivermap.png
, map_size = 300
, map_caption ...
in El Dorado County
El Dorado County (), officially the County of El Dorado, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 191,185. The county seat is Placerville. The County is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Ar ...
, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, that drains a watershed on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...
east of Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
. The river begins in pristine Desolation Wilderness
The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, in El Dorado County, California. The crest of the Sierra Nevada runs through it, just west of Lake Tahoe.
H ...
and flows through the Sierra Nevada foothills. The river at Coloma was the site of James Marshall's discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill
Sutter's Mill was a water-powered sawmill on the bank of the South Fork American River in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California. It was named after its owner John Sutter. A worker constructing the mill, James W. Marshall, found gold ...
on January 24, 1848, which started the California Gold Rush.)
Community
Murray served many years also on the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce and served as a director, committee chair, and president (elected 1935,[
] 1937 1954).
Murray helped organize local support for the 1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Valle ...
at Squaw Valley.[
He was also active in the ]Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight.
...
, the Placerville Lions Club
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquarte ...
, and the American Legion Post 119.[
]
Personal life and death
Murray married third-generation Italian-American Isadeen Adela Raffetto (1910-1998), daughter of John Augustus Raffetto of Placerville, California; they had two daughters.[
][
]
Murray was bilingual in Spanish and English. "He was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West
The Native Sons of the Golden West is a fraternal service organization founded in the U.S. state of California in 1875, dedicated to historic preservation, documentation of historic structures and places in the state, the placement of historic ...
and all his life remained interested in American history, particularly that of California's and its transformation with the discovery of oil and the influx of new residents during and after World War II."[
By 1949, Murray was a member of ]E Clampus Vitus
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. There are cha ...
of Old Hangtown, of which his father-in-law John Augustus Raffetto was head. In 1955, E Clampus Vitus elected him Noble Grand Humbug. He was also a board member of the local Rod and Gun Club, of which his brother-in-law Lloyd A. Raffetto
Lloyd Raffetto also known as Lloyd A. Raffetto, Lloyd Alexander Raffetto, and "Raff" (1897-1988), was a noted Italian-American-Irish-American co-inventor of an ice cream manufacturing process, entrepreneur, and banker who owned the Raffles Hotel ( ...
was a director.
Murray converted from Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...
to Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and spent his last active years as an elder in St. Patrick's Catholic parish of Placerville.[
In 1991, Murray and his wife moved East to live near their daughters.][ "With them goes a wealth of knowledge about the El Dorado County area in the earlv 1900s," noted the ''Mountain Democrat''.
Murray died age 86 on October 26, 1993, in ]Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the inter ...
of renal failure
Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...
.[
]
Legacy
Murray made several notable and long-term contributions to California by championing:
* 1940s: US 50, which, connects West Sacramento
West Sacramento (also known as West Sac) is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. The city is separated from Sacramento by the Sacramento River, which also separates Sacramento and Yolo counties. It is a fast-growing community; the p ...
from Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one ...
to the Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
state line at South Lake Tahoe
South Lake Tahoe is the most populous city in El Dorado County, California, United States, in the Sierra Nevada. The city's population was 21,330 at the 2020 census, down from 21,403 at the 2010 census. The city, along the southern edge of Lake ...
,[ still remembered in Placerville with "Wagon Train" celebrations.
* 1950s: Local support for the ]1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Valle ...
at Squaw Valley
* 1980s: Preservation of the South Fork American River
The South Fork American River is a major tributary of the American River in El Dorado County, California, draining a watershed on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada east of Sacramento. The river begins in pristine Desolation Wilderness and ...
– today "the most popular recreation stream in the West" for whitewater rafting in North America,[
] e.g., 80,000 visitors in 2011.[
]
See also
* Eulalia Perez de Guillen Marine
__NOTOC__
Eulalia is a feminine given name of Greek origin, ''Ευλαλια'', meaning "well-spoken." It may refer to:
People
* Saint Eulalia (disambiguation), the name of two venerated Spanish martyr saints, with similar hagiographies of possi ...
* Swift Berry
* John Augustus Raffetto
* Lloyd Raffetto
Lloyd Raffetto also known as Lloyd A. Raffetto, Lloyd Alexander Raffetto, and "Raff" (1897-1988), was a noted Italian-American- Irish-American co-inventor of an ice cream manufacturing process, entrepreneur, and banker who owned the Raffles Hotel ...
* Michael Raffetto
Michael Raffetto (born Elwyn Creighton Raffetto; December 31, 1899 – May 31, 1990) was an American radio actor who starred as Paul Barbour (1932–1956) in the NBC Radio series ''One Man's Family'' and as Jack Packard in ''I Love a My ...
* John Augustus Raffetto Jr.
John Augustus Raffetto Jr. also known as John A. Raffetto and John Raffetto, (1908-1977), was an American entrepreneur and banker who owned the Ivy House Hotel of Placerville, California and co-founded the Placer National Bank of Rocklin, Californ ...
References
External links
Calisphere: Murray, Alexander Howison Jr
Recording Part 1
Recording Part 2
Photo of Sandy Murray 1977
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Alexander Howison, Jr.
1907 births
1993 deaths
Mayors of places in California
Californios
American people of Spanish descent
American people of Scottish descent
American people of Irish descent
People from El Dorado County, California
People from Long Beach, California
20th-century American politicians
Catholics from California
University of California, Berkeley alumni