Murphy-Softley and Money Back Store — JJM's Butte retail era 1920-1924
20 sources.
JJM-Centerville-AOH's transition from Hennessy boys'-department employee to independent Butte retailer. Murphy-Softley women's apparel shop at 22 West Park st (March 1920 with Softley and Forbis as co-founding partners) ran a public arc from peak prosperity 1920-1923 → closure-rumor denial January 1924 → fourth-anniversary sale March 1924 → going-out-of-business sale August 1924 → building taken over by the Silver Bow County Democratic Party HQ by September 1924. Parallel venture per user signal: Murphy's Money Back Store (men's clothing / tailoring / haberdashery) at 65 East Park st, "enlarged to twice its former size" by November 1920 — JJM operated both storefronts simultaneously. The arc bookends a four-year period of independent Butte retailing between two long employment careers (Hennessy 1898-1920 before; Walker's-Cigar-building clothing store 1924-1928 after, per the 1938 LA obit).
- 1917 — Butte City Directory (R. L. Polk & Co.) — Murphy surname pages (pp. 724–725)Butte City Directory c.1917 — Murphy Jas J, Mngr Hennessy's Centerville, r 423 N Jackson (= the user's JJM)
Butte City Directory Murphy-surname column. The bold primary entry is: **MURPHY JAS J** — Mngr Hennessy's Centerville [Branch], r 423 N Jackson This is **…
- 1920-03-01 — The Anaconda Standard, p.6CHANGES ARE MADE IN BROWN COMPANY
Sub-head: "Murphy, Softley and Forbis Acquire Controlling Interest From E. A. Brown." Anaconda Standard parallel coverage of the Murphy-Softley founding (same d…
- 1920-03-01 — The Butte Miner, p.5WELL KNOWN BUTTE MEN BUY EXCLUSIVE PARK STREET STORE
Founding-of-business article for what becomes the Murphy-Softley store. F. A. Brown of the Brown company (formerly president and manager of the Hennessy company…
- 1920-09-24 — The Butte Miner, p.1Miner's Style Show Attracts Large Crowds; Stunning Gowns Gracefully Shown by Models
Front-page Butte Miner lead the morning after the **first night** (Thursday Sep 23 1920) of the Butte Miner's promotional Style Show at the American theater. Pa…
- 1920-09-24 — The Butte Miner, p.3MINER'S STYLE SHOW DRAWS LARGE CROWDS
"CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE." Page-3 jump for the front-page style-show coverage (first night, Thursday Sep 23 1920). The page-3 column carries the model-by-model …
- 1920-09-25 — The Butte Miner, p.1SECOND NIGHT OF STYLE SHOW HUGE SUCCESS
Sub-head: "Enthusiasm and Rapt Interest Marks Display of Latest Creations at American Theater by Butte Miner." Front- page story on the second night of the Butt…
- 1920-10-24 — The Anaconda Standard, p.32BUTTE FIRM ENTERS WINDOW DISPLAY CONTEST
Half-tone photograph (large) of the Murphy-Softley window display at 22 West Park street, Butte. An exclusive Printzess garment display, entered in this season'…
- 1920-11-12 — The Labor Bulletin, p.3Business Is Good at Murphy's
Full-page paid advertisement for **"Murphy's Money Back Store"** at **65 East Park st, Butte**. Includes a portrait photograph (head-and-shoulders, three-quarte…
- 1920-12-05 — The Butte Miner, p.23POPULAR WOMEN TAKE OVER MILLINERY SHOP
Mrs. Nellie Gannon (well-known milliner of Missoula) and Mrs. Catherine Ward (one of Butte's best-known salesladies) have purchased the millinery department of …
- 1923-02-01 — The Anaconda Standard, p.6EXPECT TEN FAST TEAMS AT AVOCA FOR ICE NUMBERS
Sub-head: "Contests for Prizes Will Bring Best Players of State Into Action." Preview of the first-ever Butte-Anaconda intercity ice hockey tournament, Lake Avo…
- 1923-02-04 — The Anaconda Standard, p.25HOCKEY TEAMS ON AT AVOCA TODAY
Sub-head: "Bouchers Will Meet Fast-Coming Murphy-Softley Squad of Youngsters." Lake Avoca, 2:20pm Sunday February 4 1923. Murphy-Softley hockey youngsters playi…
- 1923-03-04 — The Anaconda Standard, p.10MURPHY-SOFTLEY CO. TO OBSERVE ANNIVERSARY
Murphy-Softley Co. (women's furnishings house, 22 West Park street Butte) to observe the third anniversary of its 1920-03-01 opening with a week-long anniversar…
- 1923-03-25 — The Butte Miner, p.26PRINTZ DESIGNS TO FEATURE ELABORATE SPRINGTIME DISPLAY
Sub-head: "Murphy-Softley Models Will Exhibit Exquisite Garments Representing New Style." Half-page editorial feature with four fashion illustrations (sketched …
- 1924-01-01 — The Butte Miner, p.5SEVERS CONNECTION WITH APPAREL STORE — E. W. Softley Will Devote His Time to Marketing New Invention.
Same story as the Anaconda Standard Jan 2 1924 piece, published ONE DAY EARLIER in the Butte Miner. Companion clipping with PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT of E. W. Softl…
- 1924-01-02 — The Anaconda Standard, p.5SOFTLEY RETIRES TO BUILD NEW LINE — Member of Murphy-Softley Firm to Put Polish Invention on the Market.
Edward W. Softley retired from Murphy-Softley (women's apparel shop, West Park street Butte) at the close of 1923 to devote full time to marketing his "Super-Sh…
- 1924-01-13 — The Butte Miner, p.16To Our Friends
Murphy-Softley quarter-page advertisement. Left side: line drawing of an "eastern mink cape, elaborately trimmed in tails with unusually large sweep. Specially …
- 1924-03-19 — The Butte Miner, p.6ANNIVERSARY SALE ON
Sub-head: "Murphy-Softley Company Is Four Years Old." Murphy-Softley fourth-anniversary sale, week of March 17-22, 1924 (Monday through Saturday night). Mr. Mu…
- 1924-06-06 — The Butte Miner, p.7[COLUMBIA GARDENS — June bride wedding column item]
Society column on the Friday page-7 entertainment-and-society jump. The "Columbia Gardens" subsection reports considerable interest in a June bride wedding to b…
- 1924-08-01 — The Butte Miner, p.7MURPHY[-SOFTLEY] CLOSING SALE
Murphy-Softley full-page (or half-page) closing-sale advertisement. The visible portion of the JPG includes the large arrow-banner copy "MURPHY[-SOFTLEY] CLOSIN…
- 1924-09-13 — The Butte Miner, p.5DEMOCRATIC RALLY SCHEDULED TONIGHT
Sub-head: "Women Will Also Meet to Appoint Committees For Campaign." Joint meeting of the Silver Bow county Democratic executive committee with committeemen fro…