LIVING INDUCTEE

WILLIAM F. “BILL” MURPHY 

DISTRICT 12 - YEAR 2026

Few individuals embody the enduring spirit of Montana’s ranching legacy more deeply than Bill Murphy. A true cowboy in every sense, he is a rancher, horseman, mentor, and conservationist. Bill has spent his entire life devoted to the land, livestock, and values that define Montana’s Western heritage. From the meadows of the Boulder Valley to west of the Rocky Mountains near Garrison, and east to the rolling plains surrounding Rapelje, Bill has shaped not only the land he worked but also the people he raised and rode beside. His life’s work is a living testament to what it means to be a cowboy.

William F. Murphy was born on May 18, 1943, to William Patrick and Mary Ellen Murphy. He was the oldest of three children, followed by his brother Tom and sister Kay. Bill grew up on the family’s Boulder valley ranch, which had been purchased in 1893 by his grandfather Mike Murphy.

At just 11 years old, Bill faced a pivotal moment when his father suffered a heart attack while they were sorting heifers in the meadow below the house. With their father hospitalized for months and unable to return to ranch work, young Bill stepped into a role far beyond his years. Even though Bill was too young to have a driver’s license, he proudly chauffeured the family when needed, managed daily chores, and helped run the ranch alongside his younger brother Tom, all while developing a remarkable sense of responsibility and a work ethic that would define his entire life.

Though they occasionally had hired help, the Murphy brothers bore much of the ranch decision making and labor themselves, even alternating days at school to ensure the ranch kept running. Bill looked to local rancher Glenn Kyler and his uncle Joe Murphy as mentors during these early, formative years. Following their father’s death in 1965, Bill and Tom managed the operations of the ranch together, until it was eventually purchased by their sister Kay and her husband Bob Anderson. The family’s stewardship of the Boulder valley ranch continued until its sale in 1991, marking 98 years of Murphy family legacy on that land. 

In 1963, Bill married Marilyn White, and just a few years later in 1967, at the age of 24, he purchased the Knop Ranch in Garrison, Montana. The purchase included 280 head of cattle and all of the necessary equipment, an ambitious investment for a young couple, but one that Bill met with tireless determination. It was on this land that Bill and Marilyn raised their four children; Wendy, Sean, Martin, and Pat. Ranching was always done horseback, and his four children were not bystanders, they were his crew. He passed down his skills in roping and horsemanship, ensuring they too became good hands. 

Bill began improving the land and water systems, increasing hay production from around 500 to over 1000 tons annually. He introduced irrigation innovations and was among the first in the area to utilize helicopter spraying to combat invasive knapweed. 

In 1993, Bill and Marilyn bought the 30,000 acre Oarlock Ranch in Worden, Montana. With a renewed focus on horses and cattle, Bill drastically cut equipment costs and relied more on horsepower, literally. Tragedy struck when their home burned down just six days after moving in, but Bill’s immediate response was to rebuild and get to work. He developed approximately 25 miles of water pipeline and installed 15 water tanks, dramatically increasing the ranch’s carrying capacity and unlocking previously unusable grassland. 

Seeing the results of their hard work, the Murphy's sold the Oarlock in 2000 and purchased the Decock Ranch in Rapelje, Montana. There, Bill continued his commitment to land stewardship by developing natural springs, installing twelve 1,200 gallon water tanks, and implementing cross-fencing for better grazing management. In 2004, they sold the Decock Ranch and moved the cattle to a new property in Rapelje, where Bill again developed water sources, added stock tanks, built barns, a calving shed, and even an apartment, all improvements designed with the same attention to detail and sustainability that had marked his entire career.

Bill is more than a rancher he is widely regarded as one of the finest cattlemen and horsemen in Montana. He never overran his pastures, always planned ahead for drought or harsh winters, and treated his animals with unmatched care and respect.

Perhaps closest to Bill’s heart are his horses. He has an eye for quality and an instinct for potential. He turns well-minded, well-built horses, regardless of their pedigree, into exceptional ranch and rope horses. His greatest joy is seeing those horses succeed under the reins of his children and grandchildren in rodeos across the state and nation. From junior high, high school, and the College National Finals Rodeos, to the Northern Rodeo Association Finals and Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals, Bill’s legacy lives on in the arena as well as the pasture when working cattle.

Bill took on many leadership roles by serving on the school boards for Jefferson County High School and the Garrison Elementary School. He was a board member of the Powell County Weed District, and actively involved with the Montana Stockgrowers’s Association and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administered programs concerning farming practices and agricultural conservation.

Bill Murphy’s life is the embodiment of the Montana cowboy spirit; rugged, resilient, and deeply rooted in the land and values passed down through generations. His legacy will be measured not only in the thousands of acres he improved and the cattle he raised, but in the family Bill and Marilyn nurtured and the wisdom he shared. 

REFERENCES

Murphy, William. Telephone interview. 27 April, 2025

Anderson, Kay. Telephone interview. 27 April, 2025

Photo credit - Mike Logan