Michael Martin Murphey is best known for decades of writing and performing music with subjects of nature, culture, and the soul of western life. Parallel to his passion for music is his joy of learning and sharing western history and the stories of the characters who lived it.
The idea for an outlet to share his vast Western history collection began to take flight with a conversion he had with Weatherford College President Dr. Tod Farmer while Murphey was a guest at a college event. That meeting led to volumes of Murphey’s collection arriving at the campus in 2022 and eventually the Michael Martin Murphey Western Heritage Institute collection opening in the Speaker Jim Wright Library on the Weatherford College campus March of 2024.
The wing features more than 1,600 significant volumes, most of which can be checked out, with rare and irreplaceable volumes available for study in the library.
Library Director Valorie Starr was tasked with cataloging and presenting the vast collection.
“She is one of the greatest assets Parker County has, I can tell you that,” Murphey said of Starr. “She studied and looked up the value of every single book and decided how it all fits into the library system.”
Starr said patrons do not need to be a Weatherford College student to access the Murphey Western Institute collection but can obtain a library account if a resident of Parker, Palo Pinto, Wise, Jack or Hood counties.
Murphey has a history of not only promoting western history, but helping people and organizations in need, especially in Texas. Murphey Western Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit with principal board members Mark Gregston, Frank Goodrich and Murphey, have benefited projects such as the Home on the Range Cabin project in Athol, Kansas, and the Colorado Trail project.
The organization has also raised money for cattle ranchers affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the 2008 Texas wildfire, and, with a concert co-starring Texas musical artist Lyle Lovett, raised $100,000 in aid for the largest Texas wildfire in March 2024.
“We help build buildings and we help people in times of disaster,” Murphey said.
There is much more on the horizon for the Murphey Western Heritage Institute after the music artist approached the Doss Heritage & Culture Center in Weatherford. Loraine Crutcher, Doss director of development, said the board was excited to partner with Murphey and build what will be the largest western heritage complex in the U.S.
“This is a beautiful way to keep connecting all of our organizations and missions together because we already work very closely with Weatherford College,” Crutcher said. “When we met Michael Murphey at a Weatherford College event, it all came together. It really is a fantastic way for us to partner and be very concentric around western heritage and culture.”
“We think being in Parker County is the perfect place to be,” Murphey said between concerts. “We will always have the Murphey Western Library wing there at the college, and when the Murphey Western Heritage Institute is built, the Doss Center will have a fantastic research center, library and archive.
Plans are for the property from the Doss Heritage & Culture Center at 1400 Texas Dr. east to Weatherford College to have the Murphey Western Institute, a research center with archive and an amphitheater concert arena. The creek area on the property will be developed into greenspace and walking trails.
“Eventually, 11,000 books I have will be at the new library and many available in an immense archive,” Murphey said.
Part of Murphey’s collection includes major western writers and historians and an extensive western art collection. He also plans to contribute a selection of historic material about Cynthia Ann Parker, wife of Comanche Chief Peta Nacona, who was captured as a child and assimilated into Comanche life.
To learn how to contribute to the Murphey Western Institute, visit murpheywesterninstitute.org.
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