Isaac Murphy was born Oct. 16, 1799, in Pennsylvania. A teacher and lawyer, he moved to Fayetteville in 1834 and became involved in politics. He took part in the 1849 Gold Rush, but lost his farm to creditors, and he, his wife, and daughters moved to Huntsville in 1854. Elected to the February 1861 convention to consider secession, he was part of the body that initially declined to leave the Union, then reconvened in April after Ft. Sumter was attacked; after all but five members voted for secession and four of those changed their votes, Murphy alone stood against disunion. After the 1861 secession convention, he returned to Huntsville and received many death threats. He fled to the Union army that invaded Arkansas in early 1862 and accompanied the U.S. troops that took Little Rock Sept. 10, 1863. Named provisional governor in early 1864, he was inaugurated April 18, 1864, and the staunch Unionist served until 1868 through the early stages of Reconstruction. He lived in Huntsville until his death on Sept. 8, 1882. Gov. Orval Faubus built his house on Murphys home site near here in 1964.