USA > Pennsylvania > The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume I > Part 63
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Tioga eounty beneh, Judge Williams was ap- pointed associate justiee of the state Su- preme Court, and the same year, 1887, was eleetcd to that offiee for a full term of twen- ty-one years. Throughout his long and busy publie eareer, Judge Williams held a high place in the confidenee and esteem of his fellow eitizens. He was aetive in ehureh work, zealous and earnest in charitable and benevolent enterprises, and withal, an up- right, eonseientious and high-minded gentle- man.
Stephen Fowler Wilson, who suceeeded Judge Williams as president judge, was born in Bradford eounty, September 4, 1821. At the age of twenty-one he began the study of law with Hon. James Lowrey, and on February 20, 1845, was admitted to the Tioga county bar. He carried on a sueeessful general practice for more than a quarter of a eentury, and also took an aetive part in politieal affairs. He was originally a Dem- oerat, but on the organization of the Repub- lican party, beeame one of its stanch sup- porters. In 1862 he was elected to the state senate and while still a member of that body, in 1864, he was elected to Congress, where he served two terms. He was appointed ad- ditional law judge on the promotion of Judge Williams to the office of president judge, and at the next election was ehosen as his own sueeessor for a full term of ten years. In 1884 President Arthur appointed him associate justiee of the Supreme Court of New Mexico. Judge Wilson served in that eapaeity one year and then resigned, and resumed his law praetiee at Wellsboro. He became president judge to sueeeed Judge Williams, in 1887, but after two years' serv- iee, resumed the practice of his profession, and was succeeded in the office of president judge by
Hon. John I. Mitchell, who was elected in the fall of 1888. His paternal aneestors were among the pioneer settlers of Tioga eounty, where he was born on July 28, 1838, His
grandfather, Richard Mitchell, settled there in 1792, eoming from Hartford, Conn., where he married Miss Ruby Keeney. His father, who was born on the old homestead, was in turn a farmer, a lumberman and a merehant. On his mother's side, our subjeet is related to the Allen family of Vermont, of which the eolonel, Ethan Allen, of Tieonderoga fame, was a member.
John spent his boyhood on his father's farm and attended the district schools. Later he studied in Bucknell university, Lewisburg, Pa., and then taught school. He entered the army during the Civil war, and served as second lieutenant, and then as captain of Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-sixth regiment of Pennsylvania Vol- unteers. After his return from the war, he studied law with Mr. Frederick E. Smith of Tioga, and in 1864 was admitted to the bar. Two years later he began praetiee at Wells- boro, and in 1868 was eleeted distriet attor- ney. At the end of his third year of service in that offiee, Mr. Mitehell was elected to the state legislature, where he served five consecutive years. In 1876 he was elected to Congress from the Sixteenth distriet, eom- prising the eounties of Cameron, Lyeoming, MeKean, Potter, Sullivan and Tioga, and re- eleeted in 1878. In 1880 he was elected United States senator and served six years as a member of that body.
Soon after his retirement in 1887, Mr. Mitehell was elected judge of the common pleas court of Tioga county, where he served with distinetion, adding fresh laurels to his already illustrious carcer. At the expira- tion of his term of office on the common pleas benelı, Judge Mitchell was eleeted as one of the judges of the superior court of Pennsyl- vania, which offiee he still holds.
To recount in detail the lives of all the eminent lawyers who have honored their profession at the bar of Tioga eounty, would far cxeeed the purpose of this work, and the brief aecounts that follow. of some who have
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come to honorable plaees, must needs suf- fiee.
At the opening of the first court of Tioga county at Wellsboro, in 1813, there were present, attorneys Ethan Baldwin, Henry Wilson, Franeis C. Campbell and Robert Mc- Clure. The first resident lawyer of the town was
William Patton, who eame there after opening of court, and lived in a log cabin. Mr. Patton came thither in the interests of a number of large land owners, one of whom, judging from the name (John Patton) was presumably his father, who was Colonel John Patton, of Revolutionary fame.
William was born August 8, 1781, at Phil- adelphia, grew to manhood there, and there married Miss Henrietta Anthony. His name heads the assessment list of Covington town- ship for 1818, and the same year his name appears as that of one of the board of trus- tees of Wellsboro academy, of which board he was chosen president two years later. In 1819 he served as deputy attorney general. His decease oeeurred in 1823.
Clarendon Rathbone, a native of Massa- ehusetts, was born March 23, 1796; was ad- mitted to the bar of Madison county, New York, on May 9, 1820; removing thence to Pennsylvania, he was, in December, 1821, ad- mitted to the bar of Tioga county. During the years 1826-27-28 and again in 1834, he served as deputy attorney general and in 1840 removed to Blassburg, where he con- tinued to reside, engaged in extensive busi- ness operations until his deeease, August 26, 1882. His was an exemplary life and he maintained till its close, an honored place in his profession.
Near the opening of the nineteenth cen- tury, October 13, 1801, was born another of Tioga's early lawyers-
William Garretson, afterwards removed to Alexandria, Va., where he taught school for several years. In 1821 he went to Lewis- burg, York county, Pennsylvania, and there
studied medicine with Dr. Webster Lewis. A little later he took up the study of law, and on September 13, 1825, was admitted to the bar at Wellsboro. He settled at Tioga in 1827, and in connection with his law prac- tice edited the "Tioga Pioneer." He served as deputy attorney general in 1829, and dur- ing the years 1836 and 1837 was a member of the state legislature. Mr. Garretson was a strong anti-slavery advocate and was closely identified with the "underground railroad" and helped many fugitive slaves on their way to freedom. A warm personal friend of James Buchanan, he was tendered the posi- tion of private secretary to him when Mr. Buchanan was appointed minister to Great Britain by President Pieree, but deelined the honor. In 1869 he received an appointment in the internal revenue department at Wash- ington, D. C., and lived there until his de- eease, December 23, 1872.
Another famous lawyer who practiced for thirty-nine years at the Tioga county bar was
James Lowry, a native of Farmington, Conn .; he was born in 1802, and was gradu- ated from Yale college in 1824. He soon afterwards settled at Wellsboro, and taught in the academy there during the winter of 1824 and 1825, then studied law under the direction of Mr. Ellis Lewis, passed his ex- amination and was admitted to the bar in 1826, and immediately began practice in eo- partnership with his preceptor. Mr. Lowry removed to Burlington, N. J., in 1865, and on August 23, 1896, died at Pasadena, Cal.
Josiah Emery, who was born at Canter- bury, N. H., November 30, 1801, finished his preparatory studies at Kimball Union acad- emy at the age of nineteen, then studied two years at Dartmouth college. He spent the next six years teaching, and at the same time continued his studies, and in 1828 was graduated from Union college Schenectady, N. Y. He was then called to take charge of the academy at Wellsboro, Pa .. where he
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took up the study of law, and in 1831 was admitted to the bar. Among the honorable positions to which Mr. Emery was ealled, was that of district attorney for Tioga county, postmaster at Wellsboro, eommis- sioner of drafts during the Civil war, and commissioner of bankruptey. Mr. Emery removed to Williamsport in 1871, and a little later retired from active praetiee. His de- eease oeeurred twenty years later, on April 26, 1891.
John Wesley Maynard, who became great- ly distinguished at the Tioga eounty bar, where he began his professional eareer, was a native of Springfield, Vt., and born on May 18, 1806. He received his early legal training in the office of William G. Angell and George C. Clyde in Otsego county, New York, where he lived three years. With his parents he settled in Tioga eounty in 1828 and soon after began his law practice. Twelve years later he settled in Williams- port and there carried on his praetiee until 1859, when he was appointed assistant law judge of Pittsburgh. In 1862 he was elected president judge of the Third judicial dis- trict, eomprising Northampton and Lehigh counties, but after six years of distinguished serviee, resigned the office and returned to his home in Williamsport. Judge Maynard's decease oeeurred in 1885, at Minnequa.
John W. Guernsey, who won an honored plaee in his profession, was, in the best sense of the word, a self-made man. Four months after his birth, which oceurred January 28, 1811, at Hudson, N. Y., his parents settled on a farm in Susquehanna county, Pennsyl- vania. His father died when John was nine years old, and being thus thrown largely on his own resourees, the boy, by dint of en- ergy, perseveranee and hard work, aequired a good academic education. He became a student in the law office of Mr. James Lowry, of Wellsboro, in 1831, and four years later was admitted to the bar and began his prac- tiee at Tioga. Mr. Guernsey continued in
the practice until 1874, and acquired a wide reputation as an able and skillful lawyer. As early as 1840 he served as United States marshal, and was afterward for one term a inember of the state senate, and two terms of the general assembly of the state. His death oeeurred at Tioga November 27, 1882.
Alexander S. Brewster, a native of Penn- sylvania, was born at Bridgewater, Sus- quehanna county, April 27, 1812. He at- tended Montrose academy and at the age of sixteen taught school. He clerked in a store at Tioga from 1829 to 1831, then beeame a clerk in his father's office at Wellsboro, at the same time studying law under the direc- tion of Mr. James Lowry. He was admitted to the bar in February, 1835, and during the following three years served as distriet at- torney. He afterwards served thirty-five years as justiee, being eleeted to that office seven consecutive terms.
Lorenzo Parsons Williston, a son of Hon. Horaee Williston, who served a short time as president judge, and under whom he re- ceived his early legal training at Athens, was born at Binghamton, N. Y., in 1815. After settling at Wellsboro, he was assoei- ated in his praetice for a time with Hon. S. T. Wilson, and attained loeal cminenee. He represented his eounty in the state legisla- ture in 1856, and four years later was ap- pointed by President Lineoln United States judge for Dakota. In 1863 he was trans- ferred to Montana. Later Judge Williston resumed his practice at Tioga, and after three years removed to Wellsboro, where he died on May 22, 1887.
Pardon Damon, a native of Massachusetts. was born in 1808 and settled in Tioga county when a young man. He received his legal training under Mr. John C. Knox, and after his admittance to the bar, settled at Law- renceville, where he practiced his profession until his deeease, in 1872.
A. J. Monroe, a native of Massachusetts, born October 7, 1806, settled in Tioga eounty
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TIOGA COUNTY
in 1842, and there studied law with Mr. John C. Knox, and was admitted to the bar in 1843. Six years later he was appointed deputy attorney general, and in 1850 was sent to the state legislature from Tioga county. Mr. Monroe removed to the state of Iowa in 1859.
John N. Bache was born March 8, 1820, at Wellsboro, Tioga eounty, Pennsylvania, and was edueated in the publie sehools, and studied law with Hon. Robert G. White, fin- ishing his eourse at the Yale law sehool, New Haven, Conn. He was admitted to the bar in 1843. Mr. Baehe served one year as dep- uty attorney general, and in 1848 was elected register and recorder and some time later was made justiee of the peace, but resigned after serving a short time.
Julius Sherwood, who was a prominent member of the Tioga eounty bar, was a na- tive of New York, born January 22, 1822, and admitted to the Tioga eounty bar in 1844. As one of the first and foremost men in Tioga eounty in recruiting troops in re- sponse to President Lineoln's eall for men, he was, on April 22, 1861, eleeted captain of one of the first companies organized at Wellsboro, and when the men were mustered into the service at Camp Curtin, in June fol- lowing, as Company II, Thirty-fifth regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, he filled the same office and served until the following Septem- ber, when he resigned. Mr. Sherwood's death oceurred at Williamsport, July 7, 1875.
A. P. Cone, a native of New Hampshire, was born in 1820. He received his early legal training under Mr. John C. Knox, and in 1846 was admitted to the bar. His death oeeurred in 1871.
Hon. Henry Sherwood, who, for nearly fifty years was a leading eitizen and promi- nent lawyer at Tioga, was a native of Bridge- port, Conn., and was born October 9, 1813. He spent his boyhood on a farm near Cath- erine, N. Y., and there received a common school and academic education, and tanght
school one year. Going to Columbus, Ohio. when seventeen years old, he spent a few years clerking in a general store, and then went to Texas, where he served in the Texan army under General Houston. Returning north he settled in Bradford county, but in 1840 removed to Knoxville, Tioga eounty. and engaged in merchandising and in the lumber trade.
Mr. Sherwood began to study law in 1845, and the next year settled at Wellsboro, and there continued his studies with Hon. Rob- ert G. White, and September 7, 1847, was admitted to the bar. He was a painstaking lawyer with a genius for hard work and be- came widely known as an able and skillful practitioner. Mr. Sherwood was interested in numerous enterprises outside of his pro- fession, and was known as a practical man of affairs. He was largely instrumental in organizing the Tioga County Agricultural society in 1854, and in 1859 served as its president. He was a prime mover for the Wellsboro & Lawrenceville railroad, and was president of the company from its or- ganization till the completion of the road in 1872. He was one of the principal promotors of the Jersey Shore & Pine Creek railroad, one of the direetors of the company, and its president until his deeease. He was also a direetor of the Fall Brook Railroad eom- pany. A Demoerat in politics, Mr. Seymour was three times a candidate for Congress. and in 1872 was elected over Mr. William H. Strong by a majority of twenty-seven votes. He was prominent in the councils of his party and on numerous occasions was a dele- gate to state and national conventions. His death oeeurred at Wellsboro on November 10. 1896.
Frederick E. Smith, who began his law praetiee at Tioga in 1849 and carried it on with marked sueeess for forty years, was a native of Amherst, N. H., and born Novem- ber 15, 1822. His parents removed to Marion, N. Y .. during his early boyhood, and
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there he prepared for college at the Marion institute. He was graduated from Union college, Schenectady, in 1844, and then spent several years teaching from the Wol- cott and Clyde academics. He received his first legal training under IIon. Chauncey F. Clark at Wolcott, and in 1846 settled at Tioga and there continued his law studies under John W. Guernsey, and in 1849 was admitted to the bar and began his practice as a partner with Mr. Charles H. Seymour. Mr. Smith identified himself with the Repub- lican party on its organization, and in 1856 served as presidential elector on the Fremont ticket, and again in 1860 on the Lincoln ticket. In 1865 he was appointed United States commissioner, an office which he held during the remainder of his life. He was appointed United States register in bank- ruptcy in 1867, and officiated in that capac- ity till the repeal of the bankruptcy law. Mr. Smith was one of the founders of the banking house of Pomeroy Brothers and F. E. Smith, at Blossburg, and retained his con- nection with it till the end of his life. He died at his home in Tioga, October 8, 1889.
Hon. Charles H. Seymour, who was born June 21, 1820, at Bath, N. Y., received his legal training under Hon. John W. Guern- sey, at Tioga, and was admitted to the bar and began his practice there in 1847. He represented his district in the state senate from 1876 to 1880, and two years later, on June 6, died at Tioga.
Thomas Allen, who was a citizen of Tioga county more than fifty years, ranked among her successful and influential men. A native of Kennebunk, York county, Maine, he was born December 11, 1817. He settled at Elk- land, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, in 1841, and spent seven years in the harness and saddlery business. He received his legal training under Hon. John C. Knox, at Wells- boro, and was admitted to the bar there in 1851, and there conducted a successful prac- tice till 1865. During the next ten years he
served as clerk in the county commissioners' office, and in 1874 was elected county treas- urer. At the expiration of his term Mr. Allen resumed his professional work and continued it until 1892, when failing health compelled him to retire from active prac- tice.
Hon. Butler B. Strang, who settled with his father, a Methodist minister, in Tioga county in 1840, became one of her most dis- tinguished citizens and brilliant lawyers. He was born in Steuben county, New York, March 16, 1829. He pursued his law studies under Mr. A. J. Monroe at Knoxville, and was admitted to the bar in 1852.
As district attorney, to which office he was clected in 1856, he made a brilliant record. and later was honored with numerous offices of trust. He served in the state legislature during 1861 and 1862, and again from 1868 to 1871, and was chairman of the judiciary committee two sessions, and of the ways and means committee one session; and during the session of 1870 was speaker of the house. From 1873 to 1876 he was a member of the state senate and was the last regular president of that body under the old consti- tution. Soon afterward Mr. Strang was ap- pointed United States marshal for Dakota, but resigned the office in 1882 and resumed his professional work. Mr. Strang's sad death, which was self-inflicted, occurred May 10, 1884.
Charles O. Bowman, another of Tioga county's successful lawyers who attained to local cminence, was born at Westfield, Pa., March 6, 1825. He received his early legal training under Hon. Robert G. White, at Wellsboro, and was admitted to the bar Sep- tember 8, 1852. Mr. Bowman made a finc record in his profession and in 1862 was elected to the state legislature. Three years later he removed to Corry, Erie county, Pennsylvania, and in 1869 was chosen to represent that county in the general assem- bly of the state.
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Col. Robert T. Wood, a native of Otsego county, New York, was born February 2, 1830, and graduated from Wilson college, Niagara county, New York. He began the study of law when he was twenty years old, with Hon. James Lowry, at Wellsboro, and in 1853 was admitted to the bar. He en- tered the Union army in August, 1861, as captain of Company I, Seeond regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers Cavalry, which he recruited, and served until October 4, 1862, when disability compelled him to resign his commission. On July 6,
1864, he re-entered the service and. went to the front as captain of Com- pany H, Two Hundred and Seventh regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, which he recruited. He was promoted to the rank of major, March 25, 1865, and on June 7, following, was mustered out as lieutenant eolonel. He was somewhat aetive in politieal affairs, and during the years 1869, 1870 and 1871, served as clerk of the house of repre- sentatives.
Henry Allen, a native of Bradford county, Pennsylvania, was born August 10, 1823. He studied law with Judge Dietriek at Cherry, Luzerne county, and with Judge Bulloek at Smithfield, and in 1854 was admitted to the Bradford county bar. Mr. Allen settled in Tioga county soon afterward, and served three years as district attorney. Later, from September, 1864, to October, 1865, he was a law elerk in the internal revenue depart- ment at Washington. His death oeeurred January 4, 1888.
Augustus Streeter, who was a practicing attorney for nearly thirty years, was born December 12, 1823. Hc received his legal training under Mr. A. J. Monroe, of Knox- ville, Tioga county, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. His death occurred in the spring of 1883.
Samuel E. Kirkendall, a native of Tioga county, was born Mareh 29, 1834, received a thorough academie education at Lawrence-
ville, and there studied law under Mr. Kas- son Parkhurst, and was admitted to the Tioga county bar in 1859. From 1860 to 1873 he taught school at Millerton, and then began his professional work, which became extensive in the state and federal courts of the eastern distriet of Pennsylvania.
Wallace Pulaski Ryon, a son of Judge John Ryon, was born July 18, 1836, at Elk- land, Pa. He received a liberal education and later studied law with his brother, Hon. John W. Ryon, and was admitted to the Tioga county bar in 1861. After practieing one year, at Tamaqua, he joined his brother in praetiee at Pottsville until 1869. During the next three years he was eashier of the Pennsylvania National bank of Pottsville, and in 1873 was president of the Merehants' Exchange bank of that eity. From 1879 to 1882 Mr. Ryon was engaged in the coal and iron trade in Philadelphia, after which he resumed the practice of his profession at Lawrenceville, his early home.
Hon. Jerome B. Niles, widely known as one of Tioga county's ablest lawyers, was born at Niles Valley, September 25, 1834, and there passed his boyhood on his father's farm. He received a good academie educa- tion, taught distriet sehool several terms at Wellsboro, studied law with Hon. Henry W. Sherwood and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1861. The next year he served as message elerk of the house in the state leg- islature, and was mereantile appraiser for Tioga county. During the same year he was eleeted distriet attorney and re-elected in 1865, in the meantime serving again as mes- senger elerk of the lower house of the state legislature. Mr. Niles was then several years in practice as a partner, with Hon. Stephen F. Wilson, at Wellsboro, and in 1868 and again in 1869 represented his county in the legislature. He served as a member of the constitutional convention in 1872, and was author of the article relat- ing to the formation of the new counties. In
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1880 and again in 1882 he was a member of . the state legislature, and in 1883 was elected auditor general of the state. He was a prom- inent candidate for Congress in 1890, and two years later was elected to the state legis- lature, to which he was again re-elected in 1894. During all these years of publie serv- ice Mr. Niles eondueted a large law practice and ranked among the leading legal lights of Tioga eounty.
Hon. Mortimer F. Elliott, ranked among the leading lawyers not only of Tioga county, but also of the state, and attained his high place by long and persistent ef- forts in the line of his chosen profession. A native of Tioga county, he was born.Septem- ber 24, 1840, the son of Colonel N. A. Elliott, received a liberal education and was admit- ted to the bar June 2, 1862, having received his legal training under Hon. James Lowry, and Hon. Stephen S. Wilson, at Wellsboro. Mr. Elliott made rapid progress in his pro- fession; and in 1871 was Democratie nomi- nee for president judge, and, though de- feated after a hard fought campaign, made great inroads on the public majority of the county. He took an aetive interest in po- litical affairs, and in 1872 was elected to the constitutional eonvention, where he rendered valuable service. Ten years later he was elected Congressman-at-large, and served in the Forty-eighth Congress with distinction. In 1890 he was again the nominee of his party for Congress, but failed of an election. A little later Mr. Elliott was appointed at- torney for the Standard Oil company and divided his time between Oil City and New York. His diligent study, combined with his wide and varied experience at the bar, and in matters of state, placed him in the front ranks of the leading and progressive lawyers of the state, and gained for him uni- versal eonfidenee and esteem. Mr. Elliott is now a resident of New York.
Norman H. Ryon, mueh of whose profes- sional life was spent in the west, is a native
of Tioga county, a son of Mr. Samuel Ryon; born December 1, 1839. After a thorough preparation, he spent three years as a stu- dent at Genesee college, New York, and in 1860 was graduated from Union college. Sehenectady. He studied law with Messrs. Lowry and Wilson at Wellsboro, and Hon. John W. Guernsey, at Tioga, and was admit- ted to the bar April 4, 1863. In December, 1864, Mr. Ryon settled in Amboy, Ill., where he practiced his profession until 1878, serv- ing during that time as prosecuting attor- ney and city attorney. He also served one term in the Illinois legislature, and in 1872 was presidential elector on the Republican ticket. Mr. Ryon removed to Bloomington, Ill., in 1878 and practieed there until 1882, when he returned to Lawrenceville. A few years later he settled at Wellsboro and re- sumed his praetiee.
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