Alexander Howison Murray Jr.

In 1929, Murray got a job with Union Oil Company in Barstow, California. In 1934, he moved to his wife's hometown of Placerville, where they bought and ran Murray's stationery store (a landmark business founded by J.C. O'Donnell as a tobacco shop in 1888) at 311 Main Street until 1949.[2][4][5] In 1944 during World War II, 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.[5] 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, Robert Mondavi, Paul Masson, and Ernest and Julio Gallo.[1][2][6][7][8][9][10] By 1975, Murray had retired from business.[11]

In 1942, Murray became mayor of Placerville for the first time.[12] In April 1946, Murray ran un-opposed for Placerville City Council.[13] In April 1948, he was re-elected to city council.[14] From 1950 to 1952, he served a second term as mayor of Placerville.[1][15][16][17][18] In 1976, he ran[19] and won a council seat again.[20][21][22][23] 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.[24][25][26][27] Murray was among several councilors recalled in March 1977.[28]

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,"[1][29][30][31] which he supported annually[32][33][34][35][36] as late as 1962 when he served as "chairman for the annual Highway 50 Snow Ball."[37] He continued to support the highway by serving on the board of the National Highway 50 federation with California Senator Swift Berry as chairman.[38]

In 1975, Murray took out papers to run again for city council.[11] 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."[39]

In another letter dated June 8, 1987, he called on fellow citizens to rally support for a South Fork American River (SOFAR) project.[40] (The South Fork American River is a major tributary of the American River in El Dorado County, California,[41] that drains a watershed on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada east of Sacramento. The river begins in pristine Desolation Wilderness 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 on January 24, 1848, which started the California Gold Rush.[42])

Murray served many years also on the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce[43] and served as a director,[44] committee chair,[45] and president (elected 1935,[46] 1937[47] 1954[48]).

Murray helped organize local support for the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley.[1]

He was also active in the Knights of Columbus, the Placerville Lions Club, and the American Legion Post 119.[1]