Dist.Judge D.A.Macpherson(1908-1979)
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In reply to:
Dan McPherson(10/5/1869)Williamstown,Ont
1/12/01
This family spelled their name Macpherson.
Dan Jr. was a District Court Judge in
Albuquerque.He died Sat 26May1979 and there was a story about him and his father Dan Sr,
and The Grant Brother`s in The Albuquerque Tribune May 29,1979
His wife`s first name was Jeanette and
he had 4 kids,Janey?,Mary,Angus and Richard.
See 2 attached articles re this family.
If you know of this family,please email me.
His children are my 2nd cousins.My father and
his siblings who are all alive are the 1st
cousins 1x removed of these children and would like to make contact.
Off the Beaten Path by Howard Bryan-The Albuquerque Tribune
Tues May 29,1979
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Retired District Court Judge D.A. Macpherson Jr., who died Saturday at the age of 71,had an interesting family background which I learned about years ago from his father,the late D.A. Macpherson Sr.
D.A. Macpherson Sr. came to Albuquerque in 1887, and was maintaining business offices in the 1950`s in the First National Bank Building at Third and Central when I visited him periodically in search of Albuquerque lore.
I DON`T THINK that anything that had occurred in Albuquerque since that time had escaped his attention or memory.
A native of Ontario,Canada,he came to Albuquerque to join his Uncles, the Grant brothers, and to manage some of their business affairs.
A.A. grant and his younger brother`s,John and Louis(Lewis) Grant, were Ontario natives who went to Kansas in the 1860`s to become railroad building contractors.
THEY helped build the Santa Fr Railway into New Mexico, reaching Albuquerque in 1880, then helped build the Atlantic and Pacific line west toward California.
The Grant brothers established a railroad construction camp west of Albuquerque that was known at first as Grants Camp, but later and today as just Grants.
A.A. Grant was impressed with the rapid growth of Albuquerque and decided to invest in the city`s future.
IN 1883, he erected a 2 story building on the northwest corner of Third and Railroad(now Central Avenue) at a cost of $50,000 that included Grant`s Opera House.
The opera house, a small theatre occupied the second floor of the building and the first floor was occupied by an Ilfeld Co. store.The elder Macpherson said Grant`s opera house was used mostly for civic meetings, dances and local conventions because only a few opera troupes or road shows visited Albuquerque in those days.
THE BUILDING burned down in 1897.
A.A. Grant and Oliver Cromwell, who had come to Albuquerque from Long Island, N.Y., in 1881, financed the first streetcar line in Albuquerque.
Horse and mule-drawn cars were used to haul passengers between the railway depot and Old Town.One of these old cars is still in existence.
Cromwell`s daughter, Louise became the first wife of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
A.A. GRANT organized the first Electric Light Co. in Albuquerque in 1883.
Macpherson said the power house was across the railroad tracks from the depot, only direct current was used, and it couldn`t be sent very far.
The first Albuquerque business to use the electric power for incandescent lamps was the Montezuma Saloon on Second Street, which switched over on Oct 31,1883.
A YEAR LATER, Grant organized the first water company in Albuquerque.
Macpherson said Grant built his reservoir east of town on the Mesa, on what later was to become the University of New Mexico campus.
A.A. Grant followed the railroad on west, and died in Los Angeles in about 1902.
JUDGE MACPHERSON, with these strong family ties to Albuquerque and New Mexico, was much interested in the history and culture ofthe region.
His death Saturday cut short his new and budding career as a writer, which he had started in the March Issue of New Mexico Magazine with a lost gold story, "The Gold Nuggets of Truchas Peaks"
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Judge Macpherson
People like Judge D.A. Macpherson Jr. have made Albuquerque a good community in which to live.
Judge Macpherson took his responsibility to the community seriously and gave unstintingly of himself to it make a better place.
His career was remarkable in its dedication to public service.
As a young lawyer he headed a boy scout troop for several years, and later was awarded the Silver Beaver, scoutings highest award.
Later, he succeeded his father on the Board of Education.
He served as probate judge, then as district attorney before being appointed to the District Court Bench in 1955.He was later elected twice and retired in 1971.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
After his retirement Judge Macpherson became a key figure in Albuquerque`s drive torevise it`s city government.It was he who wrote the Charter amendments that established a full-time paid Mayor and nine city councillors.
He was also a founder of the Community Chest(Now United Way) in Albuquerque
and had taken an active role in many organizations, a past national president of the 20-30 Club, past president of the Albuquerque Host Lions, past president of the Downtown Toastmasters, the York Rite Bodies and the Ballut Abyad Temple of the Shrine.
Judge Macpherson was prominent in church activities and at the time of his death was chancellor of the Episcopalian Diocese of the Rio Grande.
Those who knew Judge Macpherson will tell you that he was a man always interested in his community, just as he was always interested in helping people.
His death creates a great loss to both his family and Albuquerque.He will be sorely missed.