Murphys, California

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Murphys | settlement_type = Census designated place | image_skyline = File:Murphys in Winter.jpg | image_caption = Murphys in Winter | imagesize = 250x200px | image_seal = | image_map = Calaveras_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Murphys_Highlighted.svg | mapsize = 250x200px | map_caption = Location in Calaveras County and the state of California | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | pushpin_map = USA | pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{USA}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|California}} | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Calaveras | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | established_date =  | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = US | area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref> | area_total_sq_mi = 4.23 | area_land_sq_mi = 4.23 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.00 | area_total_km2 = 10.96 | area_land_km2 = 10.96 | area_water_km2 = 0.01 | area_water_percent = 0.06 | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite GNIS|277560|Murphys|access-date=January 8, 2015}}</ref> | elevation_ft = 2,172 | elevation_m = 662 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_footnotes = <ref name="US Census Bureau 2020 Murphys, CA Population">{{cite web |title=US Census Bureau |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Murphys%20CDP,%20California |website=www.census.gov |access-date=15 August 2024}}</ref> | population_total = 2'226 | population_metro = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_sq_mi = auto | timezone = Pacific | utc_offset = -8 | coordinates = {{coord|38|8|N|120|28|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}} | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = -7 | postal_code_type = ZIP codes | postal_code = 95247, 95229 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 209 | blank_name = FIPS code | blank_info = {{FIPS|06|50034}} | blank1_name = GNIS feature IDs | blank1_info = {{GNIS4|277560}}, {{GNIS4|2408892}} | footnotes = {{Designation list|embed=yes|designation1=California|designation1_number=275}} | website = }} '''Murphys''', originally '''Murphys New Diggings''' then '''Murphy's Camp''', is an unincorporated village located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 2'226 at the 2020 census, down from 2,213 at the 2010 census.<ref name="US Census Bureau 2020 Murphys, CA Population">{{cite web |title=US Census Bureau |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Murphys%20CDP,%20California |website=www.census.gov |access-date=15 August 2024}}</ref>

A former gold mining settlement, the main street today is lined with over two dozen wine tasting rooms and surrounded by local vineyards. Nearby attractions include Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Bear Valley Ski Resort and historic Mercer Caverns. The world's largest crystalline gold leaf is displayed just south of town at Ironstone Vineyards. The town also hosts an annual Irish Day parade and street fair every March on Main Street, with some years seeing over 35,000 people in attendance.

==History== The area around Murphys was originally occupied by the Miwok.

John Marion Murphy and Daniel Martin Murphy founded the town,<ref name="Morgan-1976">{{Cite news |last=Morgan |first=Neil |date=September 11, 1976 |title=Murphys is real gold country treasure |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-peninsula-times-tribune-murphys-is-r/185676059/ |access-date=2025-11-26 |work=The Peninsula Times Tribune |pages=48 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marvin |first=Judith |date=January 2003 |title=Murphys |url=https://www.calaverashistory.org/murphys |access-date=2025-11-21 |website=Calaveras Heritage Council |language=en}}</ref> they were part of the Murphy family and the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party, the first immigrant party to bring wagons across the Sierra Nevada to Sutter's Fort in 1844. They earned a living as merchants, but like many others, began prospecting when the California Gold Rush began. They first started in Vallecito, which was then known as "Murphy's Old Diggings," before moving to another location in 1848 which became "Murphys New Diggings," "Murphy's Camp," and eventually just "Murphys" in 1935.<ref name="Castro–1968">Castro, Doris (July 27, 1968). "There Were These Two Irishmen, See..." ''The Record''. p. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-there-were-these-two-irishmen/185376286/ 34], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-the-rags-to-riches-saga-of-da/185376365/ 57]. Retrieved 2025-11-21 – via Newspapers.com.</ref>

The placer mining in this location was very successful, but wreaked havoc on the natural landscape. Miners were limited to claims of 8 square feet (0.75 m2) and yet many were still able to become wealthy. The Murphy brothers themselves, however, made far more money as merchants than as miners. In fact, John was so successful that he left town at the end of 1849 and never returned, having amassed a personal fortune of nearly $2 million. Roughly $20 million in gold was discovered in Murphys and the surrounding area. Two of the richest diggings were named Owlsburg and Owlburrow Flat.<ref name=CNG>{{California's Geographic Names|808}}</ref>

[[Image:MurphysCA-July,1853.jpg|thumb|right|Daguerreotype of Murphy's, California taken in July 1853.]]

Murphys was also a tourist resort destination, as the nearby giant sequoia trees in what is now Calaveras Big Trees State Park were a major draw, and they continue to be so today.<ref name="Morgan-1976" /> After visiting, John Muir wrote in his book, ''The Mountains of California'' (1894):<ref>http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/the_mountains_of_california/chapter_15.html</ref>

<blockquote>MURPHY'S CAMP is a curious old mining-town in Calaveras County, at an elevation of {{convert|2400|ft|m}} above the sea, situated like a nest in the center of a rough, gravelly region, rich in gold. Granites, slates, lavas, limestone, iron ores, quartz veins, auriferous gravels, remnants of dead fire-rivers and dead water-rivers are developed here side by side within a radius of a few miles, and placed invitingly open before the student like a book, while the people and the region beyond the camp furnish mines of study of never-failing interest and variety.</blockquote>

Like many other mining towns, fire was its bane and the town was destroyed three times by flames, in 1859, 1874, and 1893. After the second major fire, there was little gold left to mine, and so the town was never rebuilt to its boomtown condition. However, Murphys continued to thrive as a merchant center, supplying many of the silver mines in Nevada with provisions via Ebbetts Pass. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #275.<ref name=CHL>{{cite ohp|275|Murphys|2012-10-06}}</ref> A "Hall of Comparative Ovations" built by a chapter of the clampers still stands in Murphys. There is a "Wall of Comparative Ovations" at the Old Timers Museum on Main Street. The plaques on the wall are installed and maintained by members of E Clampus Vitus.

The first post office was established as Murphy's in 1851. The name was changed to Murphy in 1894, and finally to Murphys in 1935.<ref name=CNG />

==Geography== According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of {{convert|4.22|sqmi|km2}}, 99.94% of it land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/>

===Climate=== This region experiences warm to very hot, dry summers, with average monthly temperatures above {{convert|71.6|F|C}}, and some days above {{convert|100|F|C}} during summer months. Winters are mild, with occasional light snowfall in the early months. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Murphys has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=82140&cityname=Murphys%2C+California%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Murphys, California]</ref>

==Demographics== {{US Census population |2020=1995 |2010=2213 |2000=2061 |1990=1517 |1980=1183 |footnote=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0650034|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715031927/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0650034|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Murphys CDP|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref><ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> | align = right | align-fn = center }}

===Racial and ethnic composition=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Murphys CDP, California – Racial and ethnic composition''' {{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}} !Race / Ethnicity (''NH = Non-Hispanic'') !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Murphys CDP, California|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US0650034&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Murphys CDP, California|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0650034&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Murphys CDP, California|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0650034&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !% 2000 !% 2010 !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020 |- |White alone (NH) |1,882 |1,917 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,649 |91.31% |86.62% |style='background: #ffffe6; |82.66% |- |Black or African American alone (NH) |7 |8 |style='background: #ffffe6; |4 |0.34% |0.36% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.20% |- |Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |17 |16 |style='background: #ffffe6; |11 |0.82% |0.72% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.55% |- |Asian alone (NH) |15 |7 |style='background: #ffffe6; |14 |0.73% |0.32% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.70% |- |Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) |2 |10 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1 |0.10% |0.45% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.05% |- |Other race alone (NH) |0 |0 |style='background: #ffffe6; |13 |0.00% |0.00% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.65% |- |Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) |22 |32 |style='background: #ffffe6; |102 |1.07% |1.45% |style='background: #ffffe6; |5.11% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |116 |223 |style='background: #ffffe6; |201 |5.63% |10.08% |style='background: #ffffe6; |10.08% |- |'''Total''' |'''2,061''' |'''2,213''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''1,995 ''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |}

===2020 census=== As of the 2020 census, Murphys had a population of 1,995. The population density was {{convert|471.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The age distribution was 269 people (13.5%) under the age of 18, 76 people (3.8%) aged 18 to 24, 307 people (15.4%) aged 25 to 44, 506 people (25.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 837 people (42.0%) who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 60.9{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 80.4 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=place%3A50034&in=state%3A06|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 30, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=place%3A50034&in=state%3A06|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=April 30, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

The whole population lived in households. There were 964 households, out of which 171 (17.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 456 (47.3%) were married-couple households, 53 (5.5%) were cohabiting couple households, 309 (32.1%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 146 (15.1%) had a male householder with no partner present. 335 households (34.8%) were one person, and 246 (25.5%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.07. There were 577 families (59.9% of all households).<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=place%3A50034&in=state%3A06|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=April 30, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 1,203 housing units at an average density of {{convert|284.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}, of which 964 (80.1%) were occupied. Of these, 696 (72.2%) were owner-occupied and 268 (27.8%) were occupied by renters. Of all housing units, 19.9% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%, and the rental vacancy rate was 3.1%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/><ref name="Census2020PL"/> ==Arts and culture== ===Annual cultural events=== Visit Murphys hosts the Irish Day parade and street fair in celebration of the town's Irish heritage the third Saturday of March and Dia de los Muertos is celebrated every first Saturday of November. The Calaveras Wine Alliance members host Spring Wine Weekend every fourth weekend in April and Grape Stomp every first Saturday in October. All member tasting rooms are open to the public. The Calaveras County Fair held in neighboring Angels Camp takes place the third weekend of May and features the Jumping Frog Jubilee made famous in the 1865 short story by Mark Twain, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County".<ref>Calaveras Wine Alliance</ref>

The Ironstone Concours d'Elegance car show is held annually in Murphys at Ironstone Vineyards every September. Proceeds from the event benefit the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Leven|first=Michael|title=2010 Ironstone Concours d'Elegance|journal=Sports Car Market|date=January 2011|page=38}}</ref> Ironstone also hosts a summertime concert series every year. Past seasons have featured acts such as Coldplay, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, The Doobie Brothers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bryan Adams, B. B. King, Huey Lewis and the News, Steely Dan, and ZZ Top.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

* Murphys Hotel (CHL #267), one of the oldest continually operating hotels in California.<ref name="Morgan-1976" /> Its historic register contains such names as Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain. * The Old mining camp of Brownsville (CHL #465) sits just southwest of the town. Brownsville was a mining camp on rich Pennsylvania Gulch in the 1850s and 1860s. The camp was named for Alfred Brown, former owner of Table Mountain Ranch. Laws of the Brownsville mining district provided that each miner could own one wet and one dry claim, not to exceed {{convert|150|sqft|m2}} each * The Peter L. Traver Building (CHL #466) is the oldest stone building in Murphys. Its iron shutters and sand on the roof protected it from the fires of 1859, 1874, and 1893. It served as a general store, a Wells Fargo office, and later a garage. Today, it houses a not-for-profit museum documenting Murphys' gold-rush history. * Mercer Caverns * The "Moaning Cavern"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.caverntours.com/MoCavRt.htm|title = Cave and Mine Adventures -}}</ref> * Murphys is also known for its vineyards and wines. There are 25 tasting rooms along Main Street.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==Notable residents== thumb|right|Murphys' Famous Residents Wall

* Albert Abraham Michelson, the first American to receive the Nobel in the sciences (1907; in physics), grew up in Murphy's Camp and Virginia City, Nevada. The elementary school is named for him.

==Politics== In the state legislature, Murphys is in {{Representative|casd|4|fmt=sdistrict}},<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sd04.senate.ca.gov/district |title=Senate District 4 |access-date=June 26, 2023 |publisher=State of California}}</ref> and {{Representative|caad|8|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://assembly.ca.gov/ad8 |title=Members Assembly |access-date=June 26, 2023 |publisher=State of California}}</ref> Federally, Murphys is in {{Representative|cacd|5|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|5|access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Gnis|277560}} * [http://www.city-data.com/city/Murphys-California.html http://www.city-data.com/city/Murphys-California.html City Data - Murphys, CA]

{{Calaveras County, California}} {{California Historical Landmarks in Calaveras County, California}} {{Authority control}}

Category:1848 establishments in California Category:California Historical Landmarks Category:Census-designated places in Calaveras County, California Category:Census-designated places in California Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1848