J. Murchison and His Gold Expedition

History pieces on the pavement, La Grange, TX

John Murchison was born 30 June 1804, in Fayetteville, Cumberland, North Carolina. He had at least10 siblings and they were the children of Kenneth McKenzie Murchison, Jr. and Flora McDonald's.

On 20 January 1831, in Coweta, Georgia, John married Miss Sarah Ann Terry (1).

 Sarah Ann passed in about 1846. John remarried on 19 February 1848, in La Grange, Fayette, TX (2).

His second spouse was Miss Nancy Cox Nail (born on 20 September 1827), widow of Mr. William A. Nail.

As mentioned above, John Murchison organized The La Grange Company.

Clipping source: The Texas Democrat (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 10, Ed. 1, Saturday, March 31, 1849, newspaper, March 31, 1849; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48390/: accessed October 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

He also found gold in California and tried to get there with his company to collect the riches.

 

Clipping Source: The Texas Democrat (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 14, Ed. 1, Saturday, April 28, 1849, newspaper, April 28, 1849; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48393/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

 

 

Clipping Source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 20, Ed. 1, Thursday, May 17, 1849, newspaper, May 17, 1849; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48540/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

 

 

 

Clipping source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 20, Ed. 1, Thursday, May 17, 1849, newspaper, May 17, 1849; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48540/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.  

 

 

Clipping source: The Texas Democrat (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 21, Ed. 1, Saturday, June 16, 1849, newspaper, June 16, 1849; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48396/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

 

 

Clipping source: The Corpus Christi Star. (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 46, Ed. 1, Saturday, August 4, 1849, newspaper, August 4, 1849; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth80238/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

 

 

Clipping source: The Texas Democrat (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 28, Ed. 1, Saturday, August 4, 1849, newspaper, August 4, 1849; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48402/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. 

 

 

Clipping source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 33, Ed. 1, Thursday, August 16, 1849, newspaper, August 16, 1849; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48551/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

Clippings source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 33, Ed. 1, Thursday, August 16, 1849, newspaper, August 16, 1849; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48551/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

 Clippings source: Moore, Francis, Jr. Democratic Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 33, Ed. 1, Thursday, August 16, 1849, newspaper, August 16, 1849; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48551/: accessed October 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.

John Murchinson did not live to enjoy the California riches. He died after he shot himself by accident on July 28, 1849.