USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of Erie County Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 22
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and A. M. He then read the law under the instruction of Judge Peter Hitch- cock, a well known and able lawyer of Geauga county, but during his legal studies Mr. Goodwin was, for a time, engaged in teaching school. After two years at Columbus, O., he was admitted to the bar. This was in 1846. He at once commenced practice at Burton, but in June of the following year, 1847, came to Sandusky and became a member of the Erie county bar. Dur- ing his forty-two years of practice in this county Mr. Goodwin has been connected with many of the most important cases tried therein.
Hon. John Mackey. Judge Mackey was born in Warren county, New Jersey, on the 7th of January, 1818, and became a resident of Milan township, to which place his parents and family moved in the year 1837. Our subject was educated in the common schools and the academy at Milan, and com- menced, in 1843, the study of law with Lucas S. Beecher, of Sandusky, still devoting, however, a portion of his time to the school-room and to farm work. At Fremont, in the year 1846, he was admitted to practice law by the Su- preme Court on circuit. After his admission to the bar and before he com- menced practice, Mr. Mackey engaged in an enterprise wholly outside the profession. He, with others, established a daily and weekly newspaper, known as the Sandusky Mirror. This was the first daily paper published in Erie county. Mr. Mackey's connection with the Mirror was continued up to the latter part of the year 1849, at which time he opened an office for the general practice of the law. His first partner was O. C. McLouth, but later years found him professionally associated with Hon. Joseph M. Root, and afterwards with Homer Goodwin, esq.
From the year 1852 to 1856 Mr. Mackey held the office of prosecuting attorney of the county. In the spring of 18So he was appointed judge of the Common Pleas Court to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Cooper K. Watson, and at the next general election he was elected to fill Judge Watson's unexpired term. £ He was, upon the expiration of that term, re-elected for a full term of five years. After his last term upon the bench had expired Judge Mackey resumed his practice, to which his time has since been de- voted.
Horatio Wildman was a grandson of Zalmon Wildman, who is well remem- bered as having been one of the proprietors of the town of Portland, afterward Sandusky, and of those proprietors he was the largest owner. Horatio Wild- man was a native of Connecticut, and was born at Danbury on the Ioth of April, 1828. His parents were Frederick S. and Julia Wildman, and of their five children, Horatio was the oldest. At the age of twenty years young Wildman came to Sandusky, at which place his father had an extensive land interest, and here the young man believed was a good opening for business and professional engagements. Prior to his coming here he had graduated from Yale College, and had also read law with Charles Hawley, of Stamford,
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Conn. On locating at the county seat of Erie county Mr. Wildman read law with Francis D. Parish for about one year, and was admitted to the bar at Mansfield September 17, 1849.
During the thirty-nine years of Mr. Wildman's professional life in San- dusky city he has not been without some political ambition. In 1851 he was elected mayor of the city ; from 1856 to 1859 he was a member of the board of education, and from 1870 to 1879 he filled the position of city solicitor. It was during the latter period that the most important local improvements were made, and the duties of his office were indeed onerous.
Jacob A. Camp. Mr. Camp was born at Buffalo, Erie county, N. Y., on the 20th of July, 1823, and came to Sandusky at the age of eleven years. His father was Major John G. Camp, than whom, in connection with the early land transactions of the vicinity, no man bore a more active part. Jacob A. Camp was graduated from Kenyon College, at Gambier, after a regular classi- cal course, in the year 1847. In 1848 he entered Harvard Law School and remained there two terms, after which he read law in the office of Reber & Camp, at Sandusky, and was admitted to the bar in 1850 or 1851. He prac- ticed until the breaking out of the war of 1861-65, when he was made pay- master and so continued in the service of the government until November, 1865, when he returned to his professional work at Sandusky. About four years ago Mr. Camp retired from active practice, still retaining, however, an office in the city.
Jabez G. Bigelow has been a member of the Erie county bar since the year 1852. He was a student in the office of L. S. Beecher for two years prior to his admission to practice.
Mr. Bigelow was born in New Lebanon, N. Y., on the 7th of March, 1822. His father was a farmer by occupation, and the family, during the childhood of our subject, emigrated from the Empire State to Michigan, but died after a residence in the latter State of a few years. Young Bigelow then started out to make his own way in life. He worked on a farm and attended school when an opportunity offered. In 1844 he entered Oberlin College and re- mained through his junior year, after which he came to Sandusky city and commenced a course of law study in the office of L. S. Beecher. In IS52 he was admitted to practice and at once opened an office in the city, where he has since made a residence. Mr. Bigelow was appointed the first revenue assessor of this district, about, or soon after the breaking out of the war, and served in that capacity until the war closed. He has been no aspirant for political preferment although at one time he was a member of the city council. Of late years he has retired from the active work of the profession.
Arthur Phinney was born in the Pine Tree State, Maine, at Gorham, on the 28th of March, 1837. At the age of twenty-one he took a preparatory course at Andover, Mass., for one year, after which he entered Dartmouth College
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and remained there one year. He then left and entered Yale College for a regular collegiate course, being received, on account of his advanced standing, into the sophomore class. From Yale Mr. Phinney was graduated with the class of '64, after which he entered the scientific department of the sanitary commission, under Prof. B. A. Gould, and was engaged in the recruiting de- partment for the navy in New York city, but one year later was transferred to Washington and Alexandria, where he remained until late in the summer of 1865. In August of the last named year he assumed charge of the Chester Academy, Orange county, N. Y., succeeding Prof. Edward Orton, the geolo- gist, now of Ohio, but who was former principal of the academy. In the fall of 1867 Mr. Phinney came to Sandusky to take charge as principal of the High School, which position he held until the spring of 1870, when he re- signed. He then became a student at law in the office of Homer Goodwin, esq., where he remained one year, after which he entered the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, but was not graduated from that institution. At Columbus, on the 3d of December, 1872, he was admitted to practice.
The next year he formed a law partnership with Judge S. F. Taylor, of Sandusky, and so remained associated until the death of Mr. Taylor in ISS2. In 1884 the present law firm of Phinney & Curran was formed.
Samuel C. Wheeler was born in Fairfield county, this State, on the 16th of September, 1828. At the age of fifteen he commenced alone to fight the bat- tle of life, and being dependent for a livelihood upon what he could earn, his early education was necessarily limited. He learned the trade of a saddler and worked at it for some years. In 1853 he came to Sandusky and, follow- ing the advice of A. W. Hendry, became a law student in the office of that gentleman. After a course of study of three years duration he was, in the year 1860, admitted to practice.
On the 3d of June, 1861, Mr. Wheeler enlisted in Company E, of the Seventh Ohio Infantry, and served with that regiment until at the battle at Port Republic, Va., on the 9th of June, 1862, he was wounded. He then re- turned to Sandusky, but was not discharged from the service until March 26, 1863. Some years later he again resumed practice and has so continued to the present time.
Lewis H. Goodwin. Major Goodwin was born in Burton, Geauga county, O., on the 29th of December, 1833. He was educated in the schools of the county, and at the age of sixteen entered the Western Reserve College at Hudson, but at the end of his sophomore year the college was broken up on account of a difficulty between the president and faculty. He then taught school in Geauga county for some months, after which he entered the junior class of Marietta College, from which institution he was graduated in 1854, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
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After graduation Mr. Goodwin came to Sandusky and became a law stu- dent in the office of his brother, Homer Goodwin, esq., where he remained until April, 1856, when he was admitted to practice. He then went to Wabash, Ind., where he practiced law for something like sixteen years, and until the outbreak of the war.
In September, 1861, Mr. Goodwin enlisted as a private in Company B of the Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry, but while in camp and before going to the front he was elected to the captaincy of the company. He served in this capacity until October following, when he was advanced to the rank of major. At the battle of Champion's Hill, May 16, 1863, Major Goodwin was wounded, but did not retire from the service.
In the winter of 1863, his ranking officers being temporarily absent, Major Goodwin veteranized the regiment, and this was among the very first of the regiments engaged in the service that were made veterans. In the month of December, 1864, our subject was mustered out of service, after which he re- turned to Wabash and resumed the practice of law, which he continued until 1874, at which time, on account of the fact that the climate disagreed with his family's health, he removed to Sandusky and formed a law partnership with his brother, Homer Goodwin, esq., of that city. In 1886 Linn W. Hull came into the firm, which is now styled Goodwin, Goodwin & Hull.
Frederick W. Cogswell. The subject of this brief sketch was a native of the " Nutmeg" State of Connecticut, and was born at Woodbury, Litchfield county. His early education was received in the common schools and the academy, after which, in 1843, he entered Yale College for the full course, and was graduated therefrom with the class of 1847, and this notwithstanding the fact that during this term he was prevented by sickness from prosecuting his studies one full year.
In 1848 Mr. Cogswell became a law student in the office of Hon. Gideon Hall, of Winsted, Conn., and so remained about one year, when he was com- pelled by ill-health to retire. He then came to Cleveland, O., for medical treatment at the water-cure in that city. After about two years, his health being restored, Mr. Cogswell came to Sandusky and became a student in the office of Beecher & Leonard, and afterward with Homer Goodwin, esq. At Norwalk, in the fall of 1852, he was admitted to the bar. He soon opened an office in Sandusky and practiced continuously until the year 1864, when he en- listed in Company B of the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Ohio Infantry. This was a hundred-day regiment, and with it our subject served until the term of enlistment expired, holding during the term a commission as second lieu- tenant.
During his years of practice in Erie county Mr. Cogswell has not been without some political holdings. For several years he held the office of city clerk; in 1860 he was elected prosecuting attorney for the county and held
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that office until 1873, and it was during his incumbency of this office that he entered the United States army service, leaving the work of his office to be performed by a pro tem. appointee. For a number of years Mr. Cogswell has held the position of United States commissioner ; also, for many years he was one of the cemetery trustees.
Aside from his professional work he has dealt somewhat in real estate, and is otherwise interested in the Kelley's Island Wine Company, and in the ice business at Sandusky.
Hon. E. M. Colver. Judge Colver was born in the Empire State, but while yet young his parents moved to Ohio and took up their residence at Norwalk, the county seat of Huron county. Here our subject received his early education-at the common schools and academy. In the year 1858 he entered the law department of the Cincinnati College and was graduated in 1859. He had read law under the instruction of Hon. Caleb B. Smith, a member of Mr. Lincoln's cabinet during his first administration. In April, 1859, Mr. Colver became a member of the legal fraternity, and soon thereafter located for practice at Perrysburg, Wood county.
On the 2d of September, 1861, he was mustered into the service as first lieutenant of Company B of the Third Ohio Cavalry. From the rank of lieu- tenant he was, in October, 1862, promoted to captain of Company K, and as such was in command of the Third Battalion. In December, 1863, he vet- eranized with the regiment while at Pulaski, Tenn. He resigned in November, 1864, and came to Sandusky city for the purpose of recruiting a cavalry regi- ment under orders from the war department. Others were engaged with Captain Colver in this work, and it was but a short time before they had en- listed a regiment of cavalry thirteen hundred strong. Captain Colver did not again enter the service, but opened a law office in Sandusky city, where he has ever since resided.
In 1868 he was elected city solicitor and held that position two years. In 1869 he was elected to the office of probate judge of the county, taking his seat in February, 1870. He was twice re-elected and served in all three terms of three years each. Upon the expiration of his last term Judge Colver formed a law partnership with J. L. De Witt, which was continued until the last named person was elected mayor of the city. A new partnership was then formed with Philip C. Schenkel, under the name of Colver & Schenkel, but subse- quently Edmund B. King became one of the firm and the style was then changed to Colver, Schenkel & King. Mr. Schenkel died in 1886, since which time the remaining partners have been associated professionally, and are now recognized as one of the leading law firms of the city and county.
Omar Bailey was born in Vermont, the Green Mountain State, on the 18th day of December, 1834. When less than a year old his parents moved to Ohio, and became residents of Lorain county. Omar attended the common
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schools of the locality in which his parents lived, and when of sufficient age he entered Oberlin College, where he remained two years, but did not graduate from that institution. His early law studies were prosecuted in the office of Messrs. Plum & Plum, where he read for more than two years. He was ad- mitted to the bar at Columbus on the 14th of December, 1863.
Mr. Bailey practiced law for a few years in Lorain county, and in the fall of 1868 went to Iowa, where he remained three years. On returning to Ohio he opened an office at Norwalk, Huron county, and lived and practiced at that place until the month of September, 1863, at which time he came to Sandusky. His practice is general, but if there is any class of cases for which he has a preference, it is in that branch of the profession usually called criminal practice.
John T. Beecher, son of Lucas S. Beecher, was born in Sandusky on the 23d of July, 1831. His early education was obtained in the schools of his na- tive town, after which he attended the academy at Mt. Vernon, O., and still later, for a time, Kenyon College, at Gambier, Knox county. His study of the law commenced almost at the same time with his education, but it was not until he left Kenyon College that he became a regular law student in the office of his father. He was admitted to the bar on the IIth of October, 1853, and immediately became interested in his father's practice, an association that con- tinued until the death of the latter, some few years ago.
In 1883 Mr. Beecher formed a law partnership with Hon. Thomas P. Finne- frock, of Fremont, O., which relation has ever since been maintained. During the years 1879 and 1880 Mr. Beecher filled the office of city solicitor of San- dusky.
Ulysses T. Curran. By far the greater of the years of this man, since the days of youth, have been devoted to the school-room, either in the capacity of student or teacher, and it was not until the year 1884 that he beceme an active member of the legal profession, although he was admitted to practice in 1872.
Mr. Curran was born at Harrisburg, the capital of the Keystone State, on the 7th day March, 1834. His education was obtained at the Miami Univer- sity, at Oxford in this State, his parents and family having become residents of Brown county in 1840. He was graduated from this institution in 1856, and then received the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
For the three years next succeeding his graduation Mr. Curran was en- gaged as assistant superintendent of public schools at Ripley, in Brown county, and at the same time engaged in teaching. He then became principal of the academy at Harford, Ohio county, Ky., and remained there until the outbreak of the war, when, from the fact that he was not in sympathy with the great mass of the people of that State, he was compelled to leave, and leave quickly too. From there he moved to La Fayette, Ind., where he opened a select school, but this was not a successful enterprise. During his residence there Mr. Cur-
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ran was constantly watched, as he was known to have come from Kentucky. False reports were circulated concerning him, and he was, for a long time, be- lieved to be an emissary of the secessionists, but before leaving the place peo- ple became fully satisfied of his loyalty and integrity. After residing at La Fayette for about a year Mr. Curran returned to Ohio and became superintend- ent of the public schools of Middletown, where he remained for three years, but then went to Glendale and became principal of the academy at that place. Again after another three years had elapsed he established what proved to be a very successful school at Cincinnati, for the preparation of young men for Harvard and Yale Colleges.
It was during his residence at Cincinnati that Mr. Curran read law under the direction of Major L. M. Hosea, a leading attorney of that city. This study was supplemented by a course in the law department of the Cincinnati Univer- sity, after which, in 1872, he was admitted to practice in the courts of the State. Soon after this he came to Sandusky and accepted the position of superintend- ent of the public schools, which he held for eight years, but on account of the adoption of certain books to be used in the schools, a heated and bitter con- troversy was created, during which our subject resigned his position. In 1844 the law partnership of Plinney & Curran was formed.
Horatio N. Shipman was born in the town of Essex, Chittenden county, Vt., on the 3d of June, 1829. When he was less than four years of age his parents left Vermont and came to Trumbull county, O.
The early education of young Shipman was obtained at the district schools of the vicinity in which his parents lived, and on account of the need of his ser- vice on the farm, his study was limited to a small part of the year. At the age of twenty-five he commenced reading law with Charles A. Harring, of Trumbull county, but he was soon obliged to withdraw from the office as he had not sufficient means to maintain himself. He then returned to farm work and devoted his leisure time to the study of Blackstone, Kent and Greenley, having purchased the books for the purpose of qualifying himself for the legal profession. In August, 1854, he came to Berlinville, Erie county, and en- gaged in teaching school for a number of terms, but in the fall of 1857 he went to Norwalk, where he became a student in the office of T. R. Strong. In June, 1857, he was admitted to the bar and located for practice at Milan, in this county.
In the fall of 1861 Mr. Shipman recruited Company C, of the Fifty-fifth Ohio Infantry, and was made its captain. He served for about two years. With the exception of this time he has been in constant practice at Milan.
Hon. James L. De Witt, one of the present judges of the Common Pleas Court of this subdivision, was born in Perkins township, in this county, on the 20th of September, 1848. He was educated at the district schools of Perkins, and at the age of nineteen became a student at the Buckeye Commercial Col- lege, at Sandusky, where he remained one winter. At twenty he attended
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" Job Fish's School" at Berlin Heights, in this county, where he remained some time. He then taught school in the county for five or six years, but between terms attended Oberlin College. While teaching he devoted his leisure to reading elementary law works. He read law regularly with Hon. John Mackey and with Homer Goodwin, esq., and was admitted to the bar at Sandusky, in March, 1873, but devoted more time to teaching school than to the practice until the year 1875. The next year Mr. De Witt moved to Sandusky, and thenceforth continued his practice until the spring of 1883, at which time he was elected mayor of the city. In this office he served two terms. During his second candidacy no nomination was made against him. In the fall of 1886 our subject became the candidate of his party ( Democratic ) for the of- fice of judge of the Common Pleas. He was elected and assumed his duties as such in February, 1887.
Charles Webb Sadler was born in Sandusky, August 27, 1848. After an early education at the Sandusky High School, he, in 1865, entered Kenyon College, and after a four years' course was graduated thereform in 1869. He then read law in the office of his father, Hon. E. B. Sadler, of Sandusky, but supplemented his legal study with a year's attendance at the Columbia Law School of New York city. In 1875 he was admitted to the bar and immedi- ately commenced practice at Sandusky city, in partnership with his father.
Cyrus B. Winters, the present prosecuting attorney for Erie county, became a resident lawyer of Sandusky in 1881, and in the fall of that same year was elected to the office he now holds. His first vote in the county was cast at the polls of the election by which he was chosen to that office. His successor will be elected in November, 1888.
Mr. Winters was born in Sandusky county on the 5th of July, 1849. Aside from a common school education he was for some time at the Western Reserve Normal School, at Milan, but was not graduated. He then read law with A. B. Putman, commencing in 1873, and was admitted to the bar in 1876. From this time until about ISSo, he was deputy clerk of the courts and deputy sher- iff of Sandusky county, but at the time named he went to Eaton Rapids, Mich., where he practiced about one year. In 1881 Mr. Winters came to Sandusky city, and in the fall of the same year was elected public prosecutor.
Edmund B. King became a resident lawyer of Sandusky in the year 1875, but his admission to practice dates two years earlier. He is now prominently connected with the local military organization of the city, being the command- ant of the Sandusky Guards.
Mr. King was born at Montzelle, Medina county, O., on the 4th of July, 1850. He was brought up on a farm, at work and attending school in season, until he reached the age of twenty. He attended Oberlin College one year and also Baldwin University, at Berea, for two years.
From 1871 to 1873 Mr. King read law with George Knapp, also Messrs.
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Wickham & Wildman, of Norwalk, but during these years his time was in part occupied in teaching school. In August, 1873, at Elyria, Lorain county, he was admitted to the bar, and in the fall of the same year was elected prosecut- ing attorney of the county of Medina, but before the expiration of his term of office he resigned and came to Sandusky City. Here he formed a law part- nership with W. W. Bowen, esq., with whom he was associated about two years, after which he became the junior partner of the firm of Taylor, Phinney & King. Three years later the firm of King & Sloane was formed, and con- :inued five years. After practicing alone for one year, Mr. King became one of the firm of Colver, Schenkel & King. Mr. Schenkel died in 1886, and the firm then became Colver & King.
Charles H. Cramer was born in Seneca county, O. He attended school at Whitehall, in that county, and afterwards entered the college at Tiffin for one year, but did not graduate. He was admitted to practice at Mansfield, O., and became a resident of Sandusky in 1881, in which city he has since resided and practiced the law.
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