• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Library of Lore for Cliffside, North Carolina

Since 2002

Remember Cliffside

In The News
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Explore
    • Galleries
    • History
    • In The News
    • Landmarks
    • Media
    • Memories
    • Odds & Ends
    • Photos of the Month
    • Rutherford County
    • Society
    • Where People Lived
  • What's New
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Where are we?
  • Guest Book
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Help
  • Donate
Home » In The News » Cliffside Youth in Wilds of Africa

Cliffside Youth in Wilds of Africa


Cliffside, July 2 — Erin McMurray, a Cliffside youth, is now employed in Africa. He is a member of a large expedition which left New York about six months ago for the dark continent.

Mr. McMurray’s parents of this place received a letter from young McMurray recently—the only one received from him since he reached Africa. He is encamped in the African jungle country and it takes a long period of time for communications from him to reach his parents here. He said that he liked his work very much and was having a wonderful experience. He also stated in his letter that part of his duties as a member of the expedition was to assist in capturing certain kinds of wild animals.

Although only a young man, Mr. McMurray has worked at various jobs from house painter to circus hand. Last year he returned to Cliffside and stayed two months. He then went to New York and succeeded in securing the present position.

This article, from the society archives, was printed in The Rutherford County News on July 5, 1934.

Who was Erin McMurray?

Erin McMurray
Erin McMurray

Erin Quincey McMurray, born October 6, 1909, was the son of George Pinkney and Hester McMurray. Erin had two daughters, Rose Mary and Marie, by his first wife, Grace, who may have died young for Erin left the girls to be raised by Pink and Hester.

He had five brothers: Edgar Wesley, George Fate, James Mallette, Marshall Reid, and Bobo Campbell.

Erin was a wanderer, stayed away from his family for decades at a time, and over his 93 years had five wives, the last being Florence “Poochie” Shockley, a native of Greenville, S.C.

Erin served in the Seabees in World War II. He eventually became an unordained preacher, and was once pastor of a church in Gaffney, S.C. At the end of their lives Erin and Poochie lived in Black Mountain, N.C. She died first in 2000, and Erin died two years later. He is buried in the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery at Black Mountain.

Photo courtesy Frances McMurray Houser. Research by Joyce Hunter

Primary Sidebar

In The News

  • Introduction
  • Profiles
    • Hazelhurst Farm
    • Kenneth McMahan
    • Z. O. Jenkins
  • Community Columns
    • 1938 News
    • Live News ’03
    • Memorial Building Usage
    • Many Visitors
    • Events of Past Week
    • Garden Prizes 1926
    • Events Noted
    • Detailed Record
    • School Renamed
    • Garden Prizes 1927
    • Cliffside Gets 1st Bale
    • Big Sale Ends
    • Relics Exhibited
    • Cliffside Band on Radio
  • Advertisements
    • Cliffside Advertising in 1920s
  • Tragic Events
    • Husband Kills Wife
    • Fatal Car Crash
    • Explosion Fatal to Woman
    • Hunting Accident
  • School News
    • High School Accredited
    • Senior Superlatives 1927
    • Basketball Teams Practicing
    • School Commencement ’26
    • School Commencement ’27
    • School Commencement ’28
    • School Commencement ’29
    • Back From Christmas Holidays
    • New Gymnasium Planned
    • “Play House” Opens
  • Church News
    • 37 Are Baptized
    • Farewell to Pastor
    • New Methodist Building
  • Changes in Town
    • Scouts Dedicate Cabin
    • Haynes Mill to Open Soon
    • Mill Enlargement Plans
    • Improvements at Mill
    • New Highway Work Progressing
    • Work on Creek Bridge Under Way
    • Mill Now Making Terry Towels
    • Cliffside Builds Reservoir
    • Mill Building Ladies Rest Room
    • New Dry Cleaning Plant
  • News Briefs
    • News Briefs – 1926
    • News Briefs – 1927
  • Cliffside Christmas
    • Letters to Santa
    • Community Tree
    • Christmas Spirit Invades
    • Cliffside Takes Careful Census
  • Miscellaneous
    • Big Social Event
    • Corn Cracker
    • Cliffside Style Weddings
    • Cliffside Youth in Wilds of Africa
    • Cliffside One of Model towns
    • Cliffside Youths Hitch-hike to Kansas
    • County As It Will Look in 1936
    • A Day’s Journey
    • A Day’s Journey 2
    • A Day’s Journey 3
    • Two Escape Death
    • New Romina to Open Thursday
    • 1928 Election
    • Bull Wasn’t Tamed, Just Sleeping
    • Cliffside Jack Credited With K.O.

© 2002–2023 · Cliffside Historical SocietyScroll To Top