Historic Murphysburg Preservation honors Mr. Thomas Connor (1847-1907) and Mr. Patrick Murphy, Joplin’s most famous Irishmen.
THOMAS CONNOR & PATRICK MURPHY
Thomas Connor
A lot has been written about Thomas Connor and his prominent role in advancing the city of Joplin and his philanthropic endeavors. He became a millionaire in the mining business, buying acreage that contained enormous lead and zinc deposits, of which he leased to prospectors. He was elected to the Missouri Senate in 1907 but passed away before taking office. He is most notably known for building Joplin’s most iconic landmarks of its time— the Connor Hotel at Fourth and Main Street. Tom passed away before seeing the hotel’s
completion in 1908. In the forward of the book “Joplin’s Connor Hotel,” Brad Belk said, “No building in Joplin, Missouri, stood grander than the Connor Hotel. This once-proud landmark was a civic monument—a center of communal life where a lifetime of special memories were nostalgically savored.” The Connor was razed in 1978.
Patrick Murphy
Patrick Murphy’s story began in County Monaghan, Ireland, where he was born on January 6, 1839 to Michael and Margaret Murphy. Tragically, in 1845, Ireland was struck by the Great Famine, a catastrophic event that led to the death of a million people and forced another million to emigrate, primarily to the United States. The Murphy family, which included five surviving children, was among those who left Ireland, arriving in Philadelphia following a six-week voyage.
The family settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1849 where Patrick engaged in agricultural pursuits and attended the common schools. His education was largely acquired from experience and hence is of a practical nature. In 1859 he left Pennsylvania and acquired even more experience throughout the United States before coming to the Joplin area.
Thomas Connor
Tom married Melissa Wilcox (also spelled Milissa, Malissa, and Malassa) in 1874 or 1873.
She was born on April 12, 1851, in Ohio and died in 1928. She and Tom had no biological
children. Her story is very unique and can be read in Chad Stebbin’s book—see footnote.
Some of Tom’s philanthropic legacies that continue today include:
* $5,000 to the Handy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church at 311 W. 4 th Street
to replace their dilapidated frame structure with brick. His name is still engraved above
the front door.
* $20,000 toward building St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, 812 S. Pearl Avenue.
Tom never lived to see its completion.
* Bequeathed $100,000 to the City of Joplin to help the poor. Every year the city
transfers the interest income earned to the Health Department. In 2019, the earnings
were $5,198.
* Tom’s nephew and business associate, Thomas Connor Nolan received $10,000 (worth
$358,624 today) as a wedding present when he married Margaret Lawder in 1902. It
is believed that it was used to either build and or furnish the house that proudly stands
today at 106 S. Moffet Avenue in the Murphysburg Historic District.
Mr. Connor died on March 29, 1907 at Dr. Moody’s Sanitarium in San Antonio, Texas after becoming ill in early November. Supposedly, Tom went to Texas to recover from his ailments by seeking a warmer climate than Missouri could offer. He and Melissa are buried next to each other in Tiffin, Ohio.
Below are excerpts from the book *“Tom Connor: Joplin’s Millionaire Zinc King” by Chad
Stebbins that focus on Mr. Connor’s Irish background.
Although born in Ireland, Thomas Connor lived the classic American rags-to riches story. Described as a “self-made man,” he seemed to have the Midas touch – especially when it came to buying acreage that contained enormous rich lead and zine deposits.
Born to James and Katherine O’Connor on August 10, 1847, on a five-acre tenant farm in County Kerry, Ireland, he was the youngest of four children. The three-room tenement cottage, although fairly large by contemporary standards, was stretched beyond capacity with 14 other occupants. Had Tom’s birth not come in the middle of the Irish Potato Famine, Joplin might never have had its famous [Connor] Hotel.
The potato blight brought untold misery to the country. One million died of starvation or the diseases associated with the famine, and another million emigrated to North America or parts of England. Between 1846 and 1850, the population of Ireland dropped by 25 percent. In the O’Connor household, where it was a “ceaseless, heartless, remorseless grind, with never a beam of light piercing through the dismal clouds in promise of a better day.”
In 1851, the O’Connor family left Cork City, Ireland and landed in New York City on May 27, and then settled in Tiffin, Ohio. Tom’s father died two [or possibly six or seven] years later. Although opportunities for women were rare in those days, his mother managed to find enough odd jobs to keep her family fed. Sitting around the kitchen stove, she would entertain the children with stories about their old home in Kerry while she sewed, darned, or patched various articles of clothing. Tom, in particular was fascinated by these tales of Irish folklore, the ancient round towers, Druid priests, Celtic kings and castles, witches and goblins, and the great Irish political leader Daniel O’Connell. And yet, which his 1914 biographer found “surprisingly strange,” Tom could never be persuaded years later to pay a visit to his native Ireland.
…Tom met General Patrick Edward Connor, who, like Tom, had been born in County Kerry, Ireland. Tom as thrilled to meet a countryman, let alone a hero of the Mexican-American War and the American Indian Wars. It was after encountering Connor that Tom decided to drop the O from O’Connor – just as the general had done years before to seem more American. In Irish names, O means “coming from” or “the family of.” [Tom’s relatives did not drop the O from their names.]
*HMP thanks author and fellow historian Chad Stebbins for letting us share Tom Connor’s Irish roots via two of his books published in 2021. “Tom Connor: Joplin’s Millionaire Zinc King” along with the companion book, “Joplin’s Connor Hotel” are available for sale at Joplin Walgreen stores.
Patrick Murphy
The Murphy family settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1849 where Patrick engaged in agricultural pursuits and attended the common schools. His education was largely acquired from experience and hence is of a practical nature. In 1859 he left Pennsylvania and acquired even more experience throughout the United States before coming to the Joplin area.
In July 1871 John C. Cox laid out a town east of Joplin Creek and named it “Joplin” after Reverend Harris Joplin who settled in the area. On September 4, 1871 a 40-acre tract west of Joplin Creek was platted by Patrick Murphy and others and they named it “Murphysburg.” On March 23, 1873 the two cities merged and incorporated under the name of Joplin. The Missouri Governor appointed Elliot R. Moffet to serve as mayor.
Mr. Murphy was a merchant, mine operator, businessman, and capitalist. His accomplishments are the result of Joplin becoming a formidable, organized city. He established a newspaper, banks, hotels, the city waterworks, woolen mills, railway systems, lead & zinc mining companies, and much more. He was Joplin’s fourth mayor.
The public held Mr. Murphy in such high regard that when he died, the entire community was in mourning and many institutions closed. The cortege consisted of a band, a hearse drawn by four black horses, 100 marching pioneers, the Knights Templar in uniform, the Elks Club, and many citizens in carriages. Originally he was buried at Fairview Cemetery, but later when Mount Hope Cemetery was completed, he and his mother were moved to the Founders Circle at Mt. Hope.
Patrick was married to Isabel “Belle” Workizer Murphy (1847-1904) and they had five children that lived to adulthood.
Some of this information was taken from “The History of Jasper County, Missouri”
