USA > Pennsylvania > The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume I > Part 62
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On the retirement of Judge Woods from the beneh in 1872, Joseph C. Bucher assumed the duties of president judge and served two full terms of ten years each, his last term elosing in 1891. His sueeessor, Mr. H. M. McClure, was cleeted November 3, 1891, and served as president judge four years. In June, 1895, was approved an act of the legis- lature re-apportioning the judicial districts of the state, by which the Twentieth distriet was changed to comprise Huntingdon and Mifflin counties, and on August 25, 1895, Mr. W. McKnight Williamson was appointed by Governor Hastings and commissioned presi- dent judge to serve till January of the fol- lowing year, after which he resumed his pro- fession at Huntingdon, and there continued in active practice until his decease. Judge Williamson was sueeeeded by Mr. John M. Bailey, who was elected at the general elee- tion of 1895 for a ten years' term, and is the present ineumbent of the office, being a worthy successor of the long line of honored men who have preceded him in that high office. The Twentieth judicial distriet was enlarged in 1901 by annexing to it the county of Bedford.
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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
The following appear on the long list of honored names, on the roll of lawyers who have been admitted to and practiced at the bar of Mifflin county since the first court was held in 1789. Prior to the year 1800 were James Hamilton, Thomas Duncan, George Fisher, John Clark, Thomas Nesbit, David McKeehan, John Cadwallder, George Duf- field, David Watts, Charles Hall, Thomas Smith, John A. Hannah, Jonathan Walker, Thomas Anderson, Charles Smith, Galbraith Patterson, William Hannah, Robert McClure, William Augustus Patterson, Evans Rice Evans, Richard L. Cormack, Elias W. Hale and William W. Laird.
During the first quarter of the nineteenth century we find the names of William Or- bison, John Wallace, Alexander Lyon, James Orbison, Walker Reed, Isaac Brown Parker, William Norris, William R. Smith, John B. Gibson, George Ross, Alexander A. Ander- son, John Johnston, William W. Potter, An- drew Carruthers, Daniel S. Houghton, John Blanchard, Thomas Blair, Robert Craig, Benjamin R. Stevens, William W. Kennedy, David W. Hulings, James M. McDowell, Gratz Etting, Mordecai M. Kinney, Eliphalet L. Benedict, James Steele, John D. Mahon, John D. Foster, William Ramsey, Calvin Bly, John Banks, Samuel Alexander, Barton Mc- Mullen, Ephraim Banks, Abraham S. Wilson, William Maclay Ilall, Thomas Knox, James M. Bell, Thomas Nixon VanDyke, John Wil- liamson, Bond Valentine and Robert Wal- lace.
From 1826 to 1850 there appear on the honor roll the names of E. L. Dunbar, James Mather, Robert Fleming, A. P. Wilson, James Howard Penrose, Thomas Craighead, C. W. Kelsoe, Matthew D. Gregg, Benjamin Pat- ton, Jr., Samuel S. Wharton, James Tracy Ilale, Edgar B. Todd, John Hogewaugh, William A. Rogers, Hamilton Sample, Reu- ben G. Hale, John McGee, James Burnside, Alexander Guynn, James VanHorn, Alex- ander B. Morris, George W. Harris, Edward
Levy, T. Carroll Judson, John P. Anderson, Thaddeus Banks, Edward S. Doty, David Candor, John W. Shaw, William II. Irvine, A: Parker Jacob, Joseph Alexander, B. Stew- art Elliott, David Walker Woods, William J. Jacobs, George W. Elder and Joseph W. Parker.
Since the year 1850 the list discloses the names of Andrew W. Reed, Samuel T. Brown, Thomas F. McCoy, George S. Seldon, William H. Woods, Chapman Biddle, Thomas HI. Hulings, John A. McKee, Thomas M. Utt- ley, Horace J. Culbertson, Charles J. Arms, James F. Rakerd, Charles S. Marks, Lewis Potter, William H. Strohın, Rufus C. Elder, Allison W. Porter, George R. Elder, Joseph M. Woods, Michael Mclaughlin, William C. Davis, Nathaniel C. Wilson, G. V. Alexander, A. Reed Hayes, William W. Uttley, H. O. Lantz, Howard W. Aitkens, Robert W. Pat- ton, N. Bruce Alexander, John T. Wilson and James C. Houser.
Besides those mentioned are shown many other names of lawyers who, though prac- ticing at the Mifflin county bar, are non-resi- dents of the county, and for that reason have been omitted.
Desirable as more extended notice of the men who have wrought and made the bench and bar of Mifflin county what they are, the meagre facts obtainable as well as lack of space, render it impracticable for the most part, though the following facts regarding some of the more prominent may be of in- terest :
Elias W. Hale, who was one of the leading lawyers of his day, began his practice in Mifflin county in 1798. He was a native of Connecticut, born in 1775, and an alumnus of Yale college when he was nineteen years old.
John Blanchard, who was admitted to the Mifflin county bar in April, 1815, was born in Vermont in 1787, graduated from Dartmouth at the age of twenty-five, and studied law at York, Pa. He became an eminent lawyer,
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MIFFLIN COUNTY
served four years in Congress and died at the age of sixty-two.
David W. Hulings, who was, early in his professional life, deputy attorney general of Mifflin county, settled at Lewistown in 1818. He was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, and was an alumnus of Dickinson eollege. Ile died at Baltimore, Md. The same year that Mr. Hulings settled at Lewistown James M. MeDowell was there admitted to the bar and there practiced his profession till his death in 1840. When a young attorney, in 1824, he served as attorney general.
Eliphalet Lucian Benedict praetieed his profession at Lewistown from 1819 till the time of his death in 1875. He was born at Watertown, Conn., in 1792, and before his admission to the bar taught school at Lan- easter.
Ephraim Banks settled at Lewistown in 1817, when he was twenty-six years old, and six years later was admitted to the bar. He served in the General Assembly several ses- sions, as auditor general two terms, and as associate judge of Mifflin eounty from 1866 to 1871, the time of his deeease.
Reuben G. Hale became a member of the Mifflin eounty bar early in his professional career, and practiced there some twenty years. He was a son of Judge Elias W. Hale. George W. Elder, born in Centre eounty, was graduated from Washington eollege. He lived at Lewistown and practiced his pro- bar in 1849 till his decease in 1901, honored by all who knew him. He served as surveyor of the port at Phila- delphia under appointment of President Franklin Pierce, and early in the Civil war , fession from the time of his admission to the was appointed quartermaster general. He died in 1863.
David Candor first praetieed law at Potts- ville. He was distriet attorney of Mifflin eounty about 1839, and an honored member of the Mifflin eounty bar till the time of his , death, in 1870.
John W. Shaw, now deceased, was born at Lewistown, and admitted to praetiee in 1841, after a course of study under the direction of Judge John Reed, of Carlisle.
William H. Irvine, who died at Louisville, Ky., in 1886, was admitted to the Mifflin
county bar in 1841. Hle was a soldier in the Mexican war, and entered the war of the Rebellion in command of the One Hundred and Seventh regiment of Pennsylvania vol- unteers. After the war he practiced law at Lewistown and thence removed to another state.
Joseph Alexander, born in New Hamp- shire, received a liberal education, and in early life was a school teacher in Mifflin county. He studied law at Mifflintown, and in 1843 was admitted to Mifflin county bar, where he practiced uninterruptedly till shortly before his death, in 1878.
B. Stewart Elliot beeame a member of the Mifflin eounty bar in 1844. He was a soldier in the Mexican war and also in the Civil war, and was killed at the battle of Baxter Springs.
David Walker Woods, one of the influen- tial members of the Mifflin eounty bar, is a brother of Judge Samuel Woods, now .de- ceased. He was born in 1822, at Lewistown, and at the age of twenty-two began his prac- tice at the Mifflin eounty bar.
William J. Jacobs practiced his profession at Lewistown from the time of his admission to the bar in 1848 till 1857, and from 1852 to 1856 he served as distriet attorney.
Joseph W. Parker, who was admitted to the bar in 1850, was for a number of years in aetive practice at Lewistown. He was one term a member of the General Assembly of West Virginia, at one time while living there, and in 1875-76 represented Mifflin eounty in the Pennsylvania legislature.
Andrew Reed, who was one of Lewistown's honored attorneys from the time of his ad- mission in 1855 till his decease, was born at Kishaeoquillas Valley and was an alumnus
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THE BENCHI AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
of both the collegiate and law departments of Dartmouth college.
Thomas F. McCoy, born in Mifflin county in 1819, studied law at Lewistown, and in 1857 was admitted to the bar and continued in practice there until his deeease.
Thomas H. Hulings, admitted to the Mifflin county bar in 1858, was elected district at- torney the following year. At the opening of the Civil war he enlisted in the army and was killed in battle in 1864.
John A. McKee, born in 1836, began his law practice on his admission to the bar in 1859. He was a member of the Logan Guards, the first company to tender its ser- vices to the government in the Civil war. He served three years, 1871-73, as assessor of internal revenue.
Horace J. Culbertson, member of an old Lewistown family, was born in 1842, and has practiced law in his native plaee sinee . his admission to the bar in 1866. He was dis- triet attorney three years.
James S. Rakerd was born in Mifflin connty in 1843; was there admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-four. The year fol- lowing his admission he was elected distriet attorney, and for a number of years was clerk of the board of county commissioners. Ile died March 12, 1901.
Thomas M. Uttley was born in Hunting- don county, September 5, 1835. IIc received his education at the Lewistown academy and the Milwood academy, and after having tanght school for a time, commenced reading law in April, 1857, under the direction of H. J. Wallis, Esq., and A. Reed, Esq. He was admitted to the bar in August, 1859. He was appointed district attorney in August, 1861, to fill the vacaney oceasioned by the resignation of T. M. Hulings, and was elected to the offiec of distriet attorney in 1862, and again elected in 1865. He has engaged ac- tively in the practice in Mifflin and adjoining connties, and is now associated with his son, W. W. Uttley. Mr. Uttley was a member of
the Logan Guards, which was the first eom- pany to offer its services to the government in the war of the Rebellion. He afterwards was adjutant of the Thirty-sixth Pennsyl- vania volunteers, an emergency regiment in the Gettysburg campaign.
Charles S. Marks, now deceased, was born in Mifflin eounty in 1845, and admitted to the bar in 1872.
William H. Strohm, who was elected to the bar in 1873, became district attorney the following year. He met an accidental death at Red Cloud, Neb., in 1884.
Rufus C. Elder, now colonel of the Fifth regiment Pennsylvania National Guards, studied law under the direction of his father, Mr. George W. Elder, as did also his brother, George W. Elder, Jr. He was a partner with his father until the latter's death, sinee which time he has practiced alone.
George W. Elder, Jr., was admitted to the bar in 1878, and removed to Leadville, Colo.
Allison W. Porter, now in praetiee in Al- toona, was admitted to the bar in 1878, and served one term as distriet attorney of Mifflin eounty.
Joseph M. Woods studied law in the office of David W. Woods, his father, with whom, since his admission to the bar in 1878, he has been in active practice in Lewistown. Hle served one term as district attorney, and has represented his district two terms in the state Senate.
Michael McLaughlin, who also was district attorney of Mifflin comty one term, began his active practice on his admission to the bar in 1881.
William C. Davis, formerly of the Mifflin eounty bar, is now an attorney in New York. Ile was admitted to the bar in 1881.
William W. Uttley, one of Lewistown's youngest elass of lawyers, has been in active practice with his father, Thomas M. Uttley, since his admission to the bar in 1896. He was born in 1872, and was graduated from Dickinson college in 1894.
T. M. UTTLEY.
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MIFFLIN COUNTY
Nathaniel C. Wilson, who has served as prothonotary and also as clerk of the land office at Ilarrisburg, was admitted to the Mifflin county bar in 1882, when he was fifty years old.
A. Reed Hayes, a nephew of Andrew Reed, with whom he studied law, has been in prac- tice since his admission in 1894, and from 1899 to 1902 was district attorney of Mifflin county.
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430
THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
CLINTON COUNTY
BY R. B. McCORMICK
In entering upon a sketch of the history of the legal profession in Clinton county, certain questions fundamental to the sub- ject naturally suggest themselves to the in- quirer. A complete history of the profes- sion could not be less than complete bio- ographical sketehes of the members of the bar. Such a treatise, however, could not be contained in the space that has been allotted for this article. The matter which will be herein set forth, therefore, will be what we may call the principia of the history of the legal profession of Clinton county.
History first had its dawn in Clinton county in 1839 when, by an act of the Gen- eral Assembly, portions of Centre and Ly- coming counties were created into a separate county, ealled Clinton. Immediately after the formation of the county steps were taken to provide for the due administration of the law therein. No very suitable building eould be had in which the courts might be held, and the business incident thereto transaeted. However, finally, a publie inn, known as "Barker's Tavern," situate on Water street in Loek Haven, which town had been deter- mined upon as the eounty seat, was seized upon, and therein, for the time being, jus- tice was dealt out to them who had been ae- customed to receive artieles of a more re- freshing nature.
The building of a suitable court house was commenced at onee, and was completed in 1842. This structure stood on the southeast corner of Henderson and Church streets, Lock Haven. The building then ereeted served the purposes of the courts until Feb- ruary 8, 1869, when the present handsome and commodious structure was dedicated to
the public. The members of the bar of Clin- ton eounty now pride themselves that they practiee their profession in one of the finest structures for the purpose in the common- wealth. Hon. Thomas Burnside organized the county, and served as president judge thereof from December term, 1839, to May term, 1841. At the first term of the courts, which was held on the 16th day of Deeem- ber, 1839, the following named attorneys were admitted to practice in the several courts of the county, viz. :
Francis C. Campbell, John Blanchard, Jo- seph B. Anthony, Anson V. Parsons, H. N. Mc Allister, Andrew G. Curtin, Robert Flem- ing, James Gamble, H. M. Bliss, James Arm- strong, Henry D. Ellis, Burd Valentine, James McManus, James T. Hale, James Burnside, John Hoffman, W. M. Patterson, Theodore Friend, F. A. Giverner, Riehard Williams.
During the year 1840 the following attor- neys were admitted to practice :
Richard Williams, Adolphus D. Wilson, Geo. W. Carskaddon, J. W. Maynard, H. T. Beardsley, Levi A. Mackey.
There are descendants in the county at the present time of only a few of the attor- neys who practiced in the eourts at the time the county was organized. Sinee that time a large number of lawyers have served at the Clinton county bar, lived their lives and passed to their reward. The re- cords preserved in the files of the several courts are the evidences of what they have accomplished. They took an active part in the building up of the community. They re- ceived every commission with which they were honored sooner than they expected,
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CLINTON COUNTY
and laid it down accomplished sooner than it was expected of them. Their names are passing from the memories of the living, but their works, less perishable, are visible to all who would see. We adorn their memory by our admiration, by our short-lived praises, and as far as our natures will permit, by an imitation of their examples.
Clinton county has had nine president judges :
Hon. Thomas Burnside served from Deceux- ber, 1839, term to May term, 1841.
Hon. George W. Woodward served from September term, 1841, to February term, 1851. -
Hon. James T. Hale served during May and September term, 1851.
Hon. Alex Jordan served from December term, 1851, to May term, 1853.
Hon. James Burnside served from Septem- ber terin, 1853, to May term, 1859.
Hon. James Gamble held one court, Sep- tember term, 1859.
HIon. Samnel Linn served from December term, 1859, to May term, 1868.
Hon. J. B. McEnally held one court, Sep- tember term, 1861.
Hon. Charles A. Mayer was elected in 1868. He was re-elected in 1878, and again re-elected in 1888, and again re-elected in 1898, and is still efficiently discharging the duties of his office. The county has been most fortunate in its selection of judges, which probably accounts for its present pros- perous and settled condition.
The following are the names of the district attorneys who have served the county as prosecuting officers, viz. :
James W. Quiggle, elected in 1850; Tobias T. Abrams, elected in 1853; Charles A. Mayer, elected in 1856; G. Omet Deise, elected in 1859; G. Omet Deise, re-elected in 1862; Charles S. McCormick, elected in 1865; James M. Deise, elected in 1868; James M. Deise, re-elected in 1871; William Parsons, Jr., elected in 1874; William H. Clough, ap-
pointed in 1876; William H. Clough, elected in 1877; George A. Brown, elected in 1881; George A. Brown, re-elected in 1884; Aaron W. Brungard, elected in 1887; Aaron W. Brungard, re-elected in 1890; Tobias T. Abrams, appointed in 1892; Henry T. Hall, elected in 1893; Henry T. Hall, re-elected in 1896; E. P. Geary, appointed in 1898; R. B. McCormick, elected in 1898; R. B. McCor- mick, re-elected in 1901.
The active members of the Clinton county bar at the present time are Hon. Charles A. Mayer, Seymour D. Ball, Wilson C. Kress, Charles Corss, Charles S. McCormick ; Tor- rence C. Hipple, Thomas M. Stevenson, Henry T. Hall, Cline G. Furst, John R. Youngman, Sidney D. Furst, A. W.Brungard, R. B. McCormick, A. F. Ryon, E. P. Geary, Henry Hipple, George A. Brown, S. M. Me- Cormiek, all of whom live in Lock Haven; and R. V. Rogers, John U. Shaffer, who live in Renovo.
Clinton county has had her share of canses celebre, and her lawyers have attained en- viable reputations in many parts of the state. The members of this bar have repre- sented the county and state in many official positions, and have discharged their duties with advantage to the people and with credit to themselves. They have made themselves a body of men to whom the public can al- ways look with confidence in times of trouble and distress. It is among the lawyers that the rulers, directors and governors of the citizens have arisen. It is they who have conquered and dominated their environment, and established themselves and borne wit- ness of their existence with indestructible memorials. They have all wrought alike, but with greatly varying measures of snc- cess, in the achievement of that human im- mortality which goes by the name of history.
Samuel Miller McCormick, Lock Haven .- Of the bar of Clinton county we have found in Mr. McCormick an attorney who is in every way worthy of special mention in this
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THE BENCH AND BAR OF PENNSYLVANIA
history. Although not a trial lawyer, he has a regular office practice that far excels the ordinary, having met with an accident in his youth which disabled him to the extent of his inability to appear before the court cx- cept in very rare cases. He was born July 16, 1846, in Lamar township, Clinton county, where he was rcared and has since resided, excepting such time as he has spent in travel, which has been quite extensive. His parents were William N. and Ami E. McCormick, who were of Scotch-Irish descent.
Mr. McCormick spent some time at the Mil- lerville normal school of Lancaster county, where he prepared for teaching, and gradu- ated, afterward teaching school for about six years in that county, and taught the high school at Lock Haven for two years; read law in the office of C. S. McCormick from September, 1874, to January 1, 1877, on which date he was admitted to the bar. Since that time he has practiced alone, mainly in the orphans' court, which, in ad- dition to looking after his own personal in- terests in most of the enterprises of Lock Haven as well as many outside, yields him a large income, and as a Republican, is never without a political office; always active in
campaign work, is and has been for a num- ber of years chairman of the county commit- tee, and for several years has held the office of deputy collector of internal revenue; is trustee of the State Normal school, which position he has held since 1879; is one of the managers of the Lock Haven hospital; clerk of the council of the city of Lock Haven; a member of the board of trade and stock- holder; one of the board of directors of the Lock Haven Trust & Savings Deposit com- pany, and an officer of many other large en- terprises; an active worker in the Presby- terian church and has always been an edu- cational promoter. He has passed through all the chairs of the Odd Fellows' lodge ; has . been district deputy of the subordinate lodges and encampment of this county, and a member of the Patriarchs Militant. Has been in the encampment since 1878, and has taken but one glass of whiskey and smoked one cigar during his lifetime.
Mr. McCormick was married March 7, 1877, to Miss Henrietta M. Holahan, who died on January 1, 1895, leaving two child- ren, one son now living. He was later mar- ried on February 9, 1897, to Miss Phoebe C. Canfield, now living.
1
TIOGA COUNTY
433
TIOGA COUNTY
BY RICHARD B. TWISS
The first court held in Tioga county, in 1813, was presided over by Hon. John B. Gibson, who came to the bar when he was thirty-three years old, and who, in 1851, was elected to the supreme bench of the state. His sketch, under the history of Cumberland county, appears elsewhere in this volume. Following him on the Tioga county bench came Hon. Thomas Burnside, of Bellefonte, who resigned at the end of his first term of court, and whose sketch may be found under the history of Centre county, herein. On July 6, 1818, Governor Findley filled the va- cancy thus caused, by the appointment of
Hon. Edward Herrick, a native of Dutchess county, New York, who was born October 26, 1787. He was admitted to the bar at Chillicothe, Ohio, August 8, 1808, and four years later represented Licking county, Ohio, in the state legislature. In 1813 he began the practice of his profession in Brad- ford county, Pennsylvania, and continmed it until his appointment to the bench of the Thirteenth judicial district, then comprising Susquehanna, Bradford and Tioga counties, but to which were afterward added the counties of Potter and MeKean. Judge Her- rick retired from the bench on February 27, 1839, and died at Athens, in Bradford county, March 7. 1873. His successor,
Hon. John Nesbit Conyngham, served on the bench of Tioga county ten years, and af- terward served twenty years on the bench in the adjoining district. A more detailed sketch of his life appears under the history of Columbia county, elsewhere herein. On the retirement of Judge Conynghamn from the bench, in 1849, the office was filled by
the appointment of Horace Williston, of Athens, Bradford county, who presided over the court until February 1. 1851.
Under the constitutional amendment of 1850, making the office of judge elective,
Hon. Robert Fray White was elected to succeed Judge Williston. He was born in Northumberland county January 21, 1807. and at the age of nineteen was graduated from Jefferson college in Washington county. He was admitted to the bar in 1829, and soon attained to prominence in his profession. He served as deputy attor- ney general in 1830-31; in 1838 was a dele- gate from Tioga county to the constitutional convention, and during the years 1840-42, served as treasurer of Tioga county. After twenty years of distinguished service on the bench, failing health compelled Judge White to retire from official life. His death oc- curred on September 6, 1876. Succeeding him in the fall of 1871, came
Hon. Henry W. Williams, who had served as additional law judge under appointment of Governor Curtin since 1865, and who, at the expiration of his term, was re-elected. IIe was a native of Susquehanna county and born July 30, 1830. After finishing his pro- liminary studies at Franklin academy, he began the study of law with Hon. E. B. Chase of Montrose, and in 1852 went to Wellsboro, where he continued his studies with IIon. John W. Guernsey, and in 1854 was admitted to the bar of Tioga county. He was admitted to practice before the Su- preme Court of the state a little later, and before the circuit and United States in 1856. At the close of his second term on the
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