Person:Forrest Murdock (1)

Personal History

Forrest Oscar Murdock (1863-1926)

Christened Oscar Forrest, like his mother's brother namesake, Uncle Oscar Forrest "Auk" Kepler (1831-1899), he hated the name Oscar and reversed it to Forrest Oscar before attending Yale. He believed this is a reason he received no inheritance from his bachelor uncle while others did, but he understood and found humor in the situation.

Forrest graduated from Yale University with a law degree and moved from Corry to Chicago, about 10 years after the Great Chicago Fire, where he started work as a clerk for Judge Sidney Smith (1829-1898) after graduation.  When Forrest clerked for Judge Sidney Smith, Smith was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Cook County after a career with Goodrich, Farwell & Smith where all partners eventually became judges.  When his term on the bench was over he ran for Mayor of Chicago unsuccessfully in an election that was so close that it was contested.

Records indicate that Forrest probably worked for Judge Smith during his mayoral campaign and, likewise, followed him into law practice at the firm of "Smith, Muhlke & Murdock" where Smith was the senior member.  Smith was about 33 years older than his younger partners, and Muhlke was 2 years older than Murdock, so presumably Smith brought-on Muhlke as a capable young partner to join the firm.  After Smith retired, the law firm continued as "Muhlke & Murdock" for many years.  Murdock thought so highly of his partner, Joseph "Joe" H. Muhlke (1861-1827), that he named his first child after him as Joseph Muhlke -later to be Joseph Kepler- Murdock.

The office of both firms, SM&M and M&M, was located in "The Portland Block" at 300 S. State Street, a building completed in 1872 as one of the first buildings erected in Chicago after the Great Fire of the previous year.  "Smith, Muhlke & Murdock" started practice about 1886.  The John Marshall Law School opened in the building in 1899 and remains there today.

While at Yale, Forrest had visited his uncle Oscar Forrest "Auk" Kepler (1831-1899) in NYC and learned the printing business which he later taught to sons, Joseph and Eugene, which eventually became Murdock Brothers Printing at 205 E. Grand Avenue in Chicago.

He loved horses per his son, Joe, but was violently mean to them and was also a compulsive gambler on the horses which caused serious family problems. He had the same team of two horses for many years and had a "surrey with fringe on top." He was able to buy and move horses from anywhere because he got free rail transportation via his father, Robert Hammond Murdock, the Pennsylvania Railroad Station Master in Corry, Pennsylvania.

Forrest and Mocco were introduced through a mutual school friend, "Main" Geiger, at Hatch School in Corry, PA per Joe's audio tape. The following note was posted on the Find-A-Grave memorial for "Main."

Mary E "Main" (Drake) Geiger (1863-1951) (Find A Grave ID 42381128)
Following is a story of romance told by Joseph Murdock (Find A Grave ID 50655029) on an audio recording made of him in 1975 (age 78) involving Mary "Main" Drake as matchmaker. Joe clearly tells the story that his parents were introduced by "Main" at her house where they eventually fell in love and were married. All three attended Hatch School in Corry, Pennsylvania, but the happy couple did not know each other until after Main introduced them. They are Helen Janette "Nellie" Wright (1864-1951) (ID 133909283) and Forrest Oscar Murdock (1863-1926) (ID 133909353).

All us descendants of Helen and Forrest (Wright) Murdock would like to extend warm wishes in memory of Mary "Main" (Drake) Geiger.

WikiTree.com Page [1]
Family Search ID LT5T-8FL

Forrest Oscar Murdock (1863-1926)

Forrest Murdock extended family with wife Helen "Mocco" and sister Maude

Forrest as a younger man

Forrest as a younger man

Forrest as an older man

Family apartment

Backyard garden

Home of Forrest Oscar Murdock

Home of Robert Hammond Murdock

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} FamilySearch Family Tree
   "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 17 January 2021, 21:53), entry for Forrest Oscar Murdock(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LT5T-8FL); contributed by various users. PersonID LT5T-8FL.

   Forrest Oscar Murdock _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LT5T-8FL

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZGL-NP5 : 4 January 2021), Oscar F Murdek in entry for Robert H Murdek, 1870.

   Oscar F Murdek in household of Robert H Murdek, "United States Census, 1870" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZGL-NP5

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} FamilySearch Family Tree
   "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLYT-VWTP : 17 March 2018), Forrest O Murdock, 30 Mar 1926; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .

   Forrest O Murdock, "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLYT-VWTP

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} FamilySearch Family Tree
   "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGT-R8LG : 7 August 2020), Forrest O Murdock, ; Burial, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States of America, Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum; citing record ID 133909353, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

   Forrest O Murdock, "Find A Grave Index" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGT-R8LG

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} FamilySearch Family Tree
   "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQQY-WLY : 9 March 2018), Forrest O. Murdock, 30 Mar 1926; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,877,844.

   Forrest O. Murdock, "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQQY-WLY

6. ↑ FamilySearch Family Tree
   "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8D1-JQG : 10 December 2017), Forrest O Murdock in entry for Eugene Wright Murdock and Evelyn Ford Bulloch, 23 May 1952; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,283,808.

   Forrest O Murdock in entry for Eugene Wright Murdock and Evelyn Ford Bulloch, "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8D1-JQG

7. ↑ ^7.0 7.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ76-626 : 1 February 2021), Forest O Murdock, 1920.

   Forest O Murdock, "United States Census, 1920" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ76-626

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSQT-K8H : accessed 25 February 2021), Forrest Murdock, Precinct 44 Lake town Chicago city Ward 30, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 933, sheet 3B, family 45, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,283.

   Forrest Murdock, "United States Census, 1900" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSQT-K8H

9. ↑ ^9.0 9.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
   "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK84-T31 : accessed 25 February 2021), Forrest O Murdock, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1330, sheet 9A, family 172, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 277; FHL microfilm 1,374,290.

   Forrest O Murdock, "United States Census, 1910" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK84-T31

10. ↑ ^10.0 10.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7MX-VQV : 18 May 2016), Forest Oscar Murdock in entry for Murdock, 29 Feb 1892; Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference/certificate 11550, Cook County Clerk, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,926.

    Forest Oscar Murdock in entry for Murdock, "Illinois, Cook County, Birth Certificates, 1871-1940" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7MX-VQV

11. ↑ ^11.0 11.1 FamilySearch Family Tree
    "Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7WN-WQW : 10 March 2018), Forest O. Murdock in entry for Murdock, 29 Feb 1892; citing p.231 no.11550, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,737.

    Forest O. Murdock in entry for Murdock, "Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915" _LINK: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7WN-WQW

12. ↑ Find A Grave
    Forrest Oscar Murdock 1926.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133909353/forrest-oscar-murdock

13. ↑ Find A Grave
    Helen Janette “Mocco” Wright Murdock.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133909283/helen-janette-murdock

14. ↑ Find A Grave
    Eugene Wright Murdock.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/223798076/eugene-wright-murdock

15. ↑ Find A Grave
    Joseph Kepler Murdock.

    _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/50655029/joseph-kepler-murdock