Editing Murray, Kentucky (section)

===Early history===
[[File:Courtsquarechouse.jpg|thumb|Calloway County courthouse on Murray's court square]]
The city now known as Murray began as a post office and trading center sometime in the early 1820s. It was at first called “Williston” in honor of James Willis, an early settler.  Later, the name was changed to “Pooltown” after Robert Pool, a local merchant.  The name was changed again to “Pleasant Springs” before its incorporation on January 17, 1844, when the present name was adopted to honor [[list of U.S. representatives from Kentucky|Rep.]] [[John L. Murray (representative)|John Murray]].<ref name=kye>{{cite book |editor=Kleber, John E. |others=Associate editors: [[Thomas D. Clark]], [[Lowell H. Harrison]], and James C. Klotter |title=''The Kentucky Encyclopedia'' |year=1992 |publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |location=Lexington, Kentucky |isbn=0-8131-1772-0 |chapter=Murray}}</ref>

Murray was not the first county seat, which was at [[Wadesboro, Kentucky|Wadesboro]].  Calloway County was then much larger than today.  In 1842, however, the [[Kentucky General Assembly|state legislature]] divided the area, creating [[Marshall County, Kentucky|Marshall County]].  It was felt that a more centrally located county seat was needed, and as the village of Murray was at the geographic center, it was chosen.  A new courthouse was built along with a jail, and the town Murray was laid out on an {{convert|80|acre|m2|adj=on}} plot subdivided into 137 business and residential lots divided by eight streets.<ref name=jennings>{{cite book |title=The Story of Calloway County 1822–1976 |year=1978 |publisher=Murray Democrat Publishing Co. |location=Murray, Kentucky |author=Dorothy and Kirby Jennings}}</ref><ref name=collins>{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Lewis |title=History of Kentucky |publisher=John P. Morton and Company |year=1924}}</ref>