Lorin Cray (1844–1927) and Lulu Murphy Cray (1860–1927): A Mankato Legacy

Lorin Partridge Cray was born October 19, 1844, in Mooers, Clinton County, New York, the son of Delevan and Charlotte (Chappel) Cray. In 1849 the family moved to Winnebago County, Wisconsin, and in 1859, when Lorin was 15, they settled in Blue Earth County, Minnesota.

At age 17, Cray enlisted in Company D, 9th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He saw action in both the Dakota Conflict of 1862 and the Civil War, and was severely wounded in the shoulder at the Battle of Nashville on December 15–16, 1864. He carried the effects of that wound for the rest of his life.

After mustering out, Cray studied law for three years under Judges Severance and Dickinson, was admitted to the bar in 1875, and opened a law practice in Lake Crystal, Minnesota. In 1869 he had married Sarah Tremble; she died in 1890, leaving no children.

On September 18, 1892, Cray married Lulu Murphy (born April 26, 1860, in Lake Crystal), the daughter of Civil War veteran Captain A.J. Murphy and Nancy Snowden Murphy. Lulu, a talented seamstress and drapery designer, brought warmth, elegance, and a deep commitment to charity to the marriage.

The couple moved to Mankato in 1887. Cray quickly became one of the city’s leading attorneys, serving for 23 years as counsel for the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway and for 10 years for the Chicago & North Western. He was the first president of the Mankato Citizens Telephone Company and later became president of the National Citizens Bank (later First National Bank), a position he held until his death.

In 1900 Cray was elected judge of Minnesota’s Sixth Judicial District. He won re-election but resigned midway through his second term in 1908 to return to private practice and banking. Throughout his life he remained active in the First Presbyterian Church, the Old Settlers Territorial Association, the Blue Earth County Historical Society, and was instrumental in founding supporters of the Mankato YWCA.

The Cray Mansion (1897–1927)

In 1897–1898, at a cost of $13,000, the Crays built one of Mankato’s finest residences at 603 South Second Street. Designed by architect Frank W. Thayer in the Queen Anne style, the 10,000-square-foot mansion featured buff Chaska brick, red Mankato brick, pink granite, and Kasota limestone, along with towers, stained-glass windows, a sweeping oak staircase with rope-turned balusters, honey-oak woodwork with hand-carved garlands, and a third-floor ballroom. The interior was finished by Judson Day and Ebenezer Sheldon; Lulu Cray personally designed and sewed many of the draperies.

Built next door to the equally grand Renesselaer D. Hubbard House, the two neighbors engaged in friendly rivalry, with Cray ultimately “winning” by adding the top-floor ballroom. The house had a carriage house (later demolished), one of Mankato’s first automobiles, and a staff that included a chauffeur, maid, and cook. The Crays loved music and entertaining: a Victrola stood in the parlor, a grand piano in the living room, and the ballroom hosted dances, theatricals, and at least one performance by the famous soprano Lily Pons. A celebrated New Year’s reception on January 1, 1900, drew 200 guests and was described as one of the most brilliant social events in Mankato history.

Philanthropy and Bequest

Both Lorin and Lulu Cray were generous supporters of the fledgling Mankato YWCA. When Lorin died of pneumonia on March 3, 1927, at age 82, and Lulu followed unexpectedly on August 1, 1927, while visiting Duluth, they left their fully furnished mansion, its grounds, and a substantial endowment to the YWCA. The organization took possession on November 12, 1927.

The House after 1927

For over 80 years (1927–2008) the Cray Mansion served as the Mankato YWCA headquarters. The second floor housed young women attending school, the third-floor ballroom became a gymnasium and meeting space, and the main floor contained offices and a preschool. In 1980 the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Rising maintenance costs eventually forced the YWCA to sell. After a controversial period in which preservationists fought to keep the building intact, it was purchased in February 2008 by a private developer for $505,000. Today it functions as a multi-unit residence while retaining its historic exterior and most interior features. The neighboring Hubbard House is also on the National Register, making this block one of Mankato’s premier historic districts.

Lorin and Lulu Cray are buried side-by-side in Glenwood Cemetery, Mankato. Their mansion (often called the Cray Mansion or simply “the Cray House”) remains a beloved landmark and a testament to their taste, generosity, and enduring contribution to the community they helped shape.