George Clinton Murphy began his retail career in 1884 at the Johnstown, Pennsylvania J.G. McCrory 5 & 10. Starting out as an errand boy, he was soon promoted to manager. Murphy established his first group of variety stores in 1899, which were sold to F.W. Woolworth.
In early 1906, Murphy opened a second series of variety stores. The first G.C. Murphy "1cent to 25cent Store" opened in downtown McKeesport. The concern was incorporated, as the G.C. Murphy Company, with a corporate headquarters also established in McKeesport.
George Murphy died on April 26, 1909, only 3 years after founding his second chain of stores. The fledgling company -of twelve stores- was acquired by John S. Mack and Walther C. Shaw, two former McCrory executives. Expansion being the order of the day, the G.C. Murphy Company was overseeing 153 stores in 1929 and 202 in 1939.
By 1949, there were 218 stores. These operated in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
The assets of the ninety-one-store John A. Morris Company were brought under the Murphy's corporate umbrella on October 30, 1951. The first suburban, shopping center-format Murphy's stores were dedicated in the same year. Morgan & Lindsey Stores, an eighty-nine unit variety store chain, became a Murphy Company holding on April 11, 1959.
By 1959, there were 418 Murphy's stores. This total had climbed to 517 by 1969. The company followed the lead of Kresge and Woolworth by opening its own brand of discount department stores. Known as Murphy's Mart, the chain debuted in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania on May 27, 1970.
The stagnant national economy of the 1970s caused the store count to fall, with 448 in operation in 1980. The entire Murphy's operation -including all variety and Murphy's Mart units- was sold to Connecticut-based Ames in August 1985. Murphy's Mart stores were rebranded as Ames locations in 1986. The 5 & 10-type variety stores continued to operate under the Murphy's banner.
Ames sold all Murphy's mercantiles to McCrory Stores in August 1989. Like Ames, the McCrory Corporation retained the Murphy's banner. With the dissolution of McCrory Stores, in early 2002, the last G.C. Murphy stores were shuttered.
MURPHY'S JUNIOR-ANCHORED SHOPPING MALLS:
*MONDAWMIN CENTER, Baltimore, MD (1956)
*HANCOCK CENTER, Austin, TX (1964)
*TANGLEWOOD MALL, Roanoke County, VA (1973)
