San Francisco County
Biographies
Murphy, Grant
& Company.—This firm is the largest and oldest
wholesale dry-goods house on the Pacific coast.
It was organized in 1851 by Eugene Kelly, J. A. Donohoe,
Daniel T. Murphy and Adam Grant, Mr. Grant being now the only survivor of the
original company.
They opened
their business near the northwest former of Sansome
and Sacramento streets. In 1862 Mr.
Kelly retired from the business and engaged in banking in New York. Mr. Donohoe also retired
from the business at the same time and started the Bank of Ralston &
Co. The firm then became Murphy, Grant
& Co., its members, Daniel T. Murphy, Adam Grant and Thomas Breeze. In 1863 John Dean entered the firm, and it
stood that way until 1864. On April 28,
1885, the last named gentleman died, after an illness of only one day. This firm was re-organized and new articles
of co-partnership were drawn, admitting Joseph A. Ford, Daniel T. Murphy and
Joseph D. Grant.
On June 5 of the
same year Mr. D. T. Murphy died in New York, and soon afterward a new company
was formed, consisting of Adam Grant, Henry M. Murphy (of New York, and a
brother of D. T. Murphy), Joseph a. Ford, Joseph D. Grant (son of Adam Grant),
Daniel T. Murphy (son of D. T. Murphy, Sr.), the firm retaining its old name,
Murphy, Grant & Co. In 1887 H. L.
Whipple was admitted, and in 1889 D. T. Murphy retired.
Mr. Adam Grant,
so well and favorably known in connection with this house and the mercantile
affairs of San Francisco, is a native of Scotland. Mr. Ford was born in Maryland. Their present building, owned by Mr. Grant,
was built in 1867. It is located on the
northeast corner of Sansome and Bush streets, is 137½
feet square, four stories and a basement, and is one of the most substantial
buildings in the city. The greater
portion of this immense building is filled with the stock of the firm, their
goods finding a makert [sic] in Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, the islands of the Pacific, and all over the Pacific slope. No firm on the coast has enjoyed so long a
period of unremitting prosperity or a higher reputation for honorable and
liberal dealing. The members of this
firm are men of the highest business ability and integrity, and richly deserve
the high position they have attained in San Francisco and on the Pacific coast.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, pages 95-96, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2005 Donna L. Becker.