n. Russell, May 8, 1893, to October 20.
1897; Robert Jamison, September 19, 1893.
to December i, 1897; Charles B. Elliott,
January, 1894, to October 4, 1905; Henry
C. Belden, January, 1895, to May 5. 1897;
WILM.\>r S. PATTEE.
Di-nii of the Coll<.Bo (.f r.iiw, Unlvcr.slly of MlniiPsota.
David F. Simpson, January 5, 1897, to Janu-
ary, 1909; Edward M. Johnson, May 5,
1897, to January, 1899; John F. McGee,
October 20, 1897, to November 19, 1902;
W'illard R. Cray, November 19, 1902, to
January, 1905; William A. Lancaster, De-
cember I, 1897, to January 2, 1899; Alex-
ander M. Harri.son, May 19, 1898, to Janu-
ary, 1905; Chas. M. Pond, January 2, "1899,
to January, 1905; Frank C. 1 '.rooks, January
-'. 1899, to January, 1911; .Andrew Holt,
January 2, 1905, to January, 191 1; Horace
D. Dickinson, January 2, 1905, to January,
1911; John Day Smith, January 2, 1905, to
January, 191 1; Frederick V. lirown, Octo-
i)er 4, 1905, to January, HJ13.
During the territorial period Sweet W.
Case was clerk of the district court. Under
the state government the clerks have been
as follows: H. A. Partridge, PI. O. Ham-
lin, J. P. Plummer, George PI. W. Chowen,
1). W. Albaugh, L. Jerome, J. .\. \\'olver-
ton, E. J. Davenport, C. P. 'Pirrell, George
G. Tirrell, C. N. Dickey, A. E. Allen.
During the period from 1867 to 1872 the
office of city justice was held by Judge
Charles PI. Woods, . H. A. Partridge, D.
Morgan, J. L. Himes, and Henry G. Plicks.
The names of the city attorneys for old
St. .\nlliony, Minneapolis and the consoli-
ilated city after 1872 will be found in the
li>l of city officials in the chapter on Public
-MTairs and Officials. Frank Plealy, the
present incumlient, was appointed in i8i;7
and is now ser\ing his twelfth year of ser-
vice — by far the longest term of any city
attorney since the lieginning of the citv.
Since 1888 the term of office has commenced
on January i and has been for two years.
THE MUNICJr.M. COURT.
Soon after the consolidation of the two
cities an act was passed, in 1874, establish-
ing a numicipal court in Minneapolis. This
court was given much larger jurisdiction
than the city justices. Grove T!. Coolev was
elected municiiial court judge in 1874 and
served imtil .\iiril, 1883. In 1877 the busi-
ness of the Court had so increased that a
special judge was proxidcd, and Reul)in
Reynolds was appointed and served until
1879. ]<"rancis B. Bailey was then appointed
and licld the office until April, 18R3, when
COURTS AND LAWYERS
139
LAW BUII.DIXli; UXIVHIiSITY iiF MINNESOTA.
FROM THE SWEET COLLECTrOM
he was elected regular judge for the term
expiring Jan. i, 1889. At the same time
Stephen Mahoney was elected special judge.
George D. Emery was elected judge for the
term commencing January i, 1889, and
Judge Mahoney was re-elected special judge
at the same time. Upon the resignation of
Judge Emery, in 1891, Charles B. Elliott
was appointed to the office for the unex-
pired term, and was re-elected in 1892. He
served until January 4, 1894, when he was
appointed to the district bench and Andrew
Holt was appointed as his successor. In
1896 William A. Kerr was elected special
judge to succeed Judge Mahoney. In 1901
H. D. Dickinson succeeded Judge Kerr and
in 1905 both Judge Holt and Judge Dickin-
son were elevated to the district bench and
Edward F. Waite and C. L. Smith were ap-
pointed to fill the vacancy. In ilie fall of
1906 Judge Waite was elected judge of the
municipal court for the full term and Judge
Smith was elected special judge at the same
time and both are now serving on the bench.
The first judge of probate in Hennepin
county was Joel B. Bassett, who was elect-
ed in 1852. It appears from the records
that during his two years' service only one
person died who was possessed of any prop-
erty requiring the care of the court, and no
estates were administered. Judge Bassett
was succeeded by E. S. Jones, who held the
oiifice for four years. Lardner Bostwick
was judge of probate in i860 and i86r, and
N. H. Hemiup from 1861 to the close of the
year 1870. The succeeding judges were
these: Franklin Beebe, 1870-1875; E. A.
Gove, 1875; P- M. Babcock, 1876 and 1877:
John P. Rea. 1877 to 1882: A. Uelan<l. 1882
to 1887; F. Von Schlegel, 1887 to 1890;
Francis B. Bailey, 1890; J. R. Corrigan, 1891
and 1892; John II. Steele, 1893 — 1896;
140
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
Frederick C. Harvey, iRg" tn Kp"; George
R. Siiiilli, 1907.
Since the organization of the state, Hen-
nepin county has liad eighteen county at-
torneys. I'he complete list follows: James
R. La.wrence, November i, 1858; \V. W.
McNair, May 5, 1862; J. \i. Giltillan, May,
4, 1863; George R. Robinson. Alay 1867; J.
B. Gilfillan, May, i86g : David A. Secombe,
May, 1871; J.' B. Gilfillan. March, 1873:
lames W. Lawrence, Tanuarv i, 1875; \V.
E. Hale, 1879; John G. VVoolley, 1883:
Frank F. Davis, 1885; Robert Jamison,
1889; L. R. Thian, 1891 ; Frank M. Nye,
1893; Tames A. Peterson, i8i;7; Louis A.
Reed, 1899; I'^red H. Boardman, 1901; Al
J. Smith, T905.
BAR ASSOCIATTOXS.
In 1883 the Minneapolis Bar associati(.iii
was organized with the purpose of building
up a substantial and permanent law library.
Its first president was the late E. M. Wil-
son, and it had a membership of fort_\ - six
leading lawyers. It has since grown in
strength, and its library — long housed in
Temple Court — has now found a ])ermanent
home in the courthouse.
The Hennepin County Bar association
was formed in 1896, in recognition of a de-
mand for an organization which should in-
clude all reputalde members (jf the |)r(.ifes-
sion in Hennepin county, and with the
avowed objects of advancing the science of
jurisprudence, promoting the administra-
tion of justice and upholding the honor of
the law. The l)0(ly has no regular meet-
ings, but is called tcjgetlier from time to
time as needs arise.
LEGAL EDUCATION.
In 1888 the College of Law of the Uni-
versity of Minnesota was established and
was opened on Se])tcmber ir, with an ad-
dress by Dean W. S. I'attee, w In > li.id l)een
called to the head of the sclic"il and wlm
has since continuously devoted liis time and
abilities to its interests. Al first the l.iw
department was quartered in the old main
building, hut an appropriation of $25,000
was soon secured and the original law
building was erected in time for the open-
ing of the fall session of 1889. This build-
ing has since been greatly enlarged to meet
the growth of the student body. An enroll-
ment of sixty-seven students during the
first year was followed by a rapid increase
nntil the college has become one of the lead-
ing law schools of the country.
In 1895 th*-' course of study was length-
ened from two to three years. There was
some fear lest this change should i)rove too
radical, as this was the first western school
to propose such a forward movement ; but
other schools soon followed the example.
In the same year of 1895 a graduate depart-
ment was organized leading to the degree
I if LL. At. This course of study included
the subjects of general juris]irudence, politi-
cal science, constitntinnal history and juris-
prudence, and some others which vary from
year to year as necessity requires. Those
students only are admitted to this course
who have received their degree of B. L. In
1898 a third course consisting of advanced
work in comparative jurisprudence, Roman
law, the philosophy of jurisprudence and
jiolitical science was organized. No definite
time was prescribed within which the work
required for graduation siiuidd be per-
fdrined, but ^tudent^ are permitted a rea-
sonable time to pre|)are and present their
final theses, the acceptance of which liy the
faculty entitles the candidate to the degree
of D. C. L.
The facidty of the college of Law is as
follows: Cyrus Northrop, president; Wil-
liam S. Pattee, dean; A. L". Hickman, James
Paige, Henry J. I'letcher, Edwin A. Jag-
gard, Howard .'-^. Abbott, Robert S. Kolliner,
Hugh l',. Willis, Ifugh V. Mercer, Homer
W. .Stevens, Charles W. Buim, Christopher
I ). O'Brien, and Jared How. The special
lertm-ers .are John Lind, Charles P.. h^lliott,
A. I',. Jacks.in", T. I). < )'r,rien. Jcilin W. Wil-
lis, W illiani 1'. I ..•mcaster, Rume G. Pirown,
Daniel FIsIl Edmund S. I)urment, John F.
McGee.
COURTS AND LAWYERS
141
ABBOTT, Howard Strickland, son of the Rev.
Abiel H., and Mary Ellen Strickland Abbott, was
born Sept. 15th, 1863 at Farmington. JNIinn., and
spent his boyhood in Minnesota. His father be-
came a member of the Minnesota Methodist
Church Conference, which he joined in 1855, con-
tinuing to be an active clerical worker until his
death in 1903. The son Howard came near being
a victim of the Sioux Indian massacre in 1862,
his father being then stationed at St. Peter. When
fourteen years old he taught school, and. after
preparation at the Minneapolis Academy, ho en-
tered the state university, graduating in 1885 with
the degree of B. L. He studied law in Minne-
apolis with James 1). Springer, then general solic-
itor for the Minneapolis & St. Louis and the
"Soo" railway companies, and was admitted to
the bar, after oral examination by the Supreme
Court, in .\pril, 1887. After admission, he was
appointed assistant general solicitor for the M.
& St. L., and "Soo" railways and, in i8go, be-
came assistant counsel for the Atchison.
Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., at Chicago and then
at St. Louis. From 1886 to l8go he was secretary
of the Wisconsin, Minnesota & Pacific Ry. Co.,
and in 1897 succeeded W. D. Cornish as special
master in chancery of tlie Union Pacific Railway
Company, then in the hands of receivers. He
devoted himself for the next four years to the
task of closing up the afifairs of that corpora-
tion, which involved the solution of many dif-
ficult problems and the supervision of the proper
disbursement of many millions of dollars paying
claims and operating the road besides writing de-
cisions as to disbursements and questions of
policy which were in no case reversed on appeal.
Mr. Abbott, upon the termination of this work,
came to Minneapolis and was appointed Stand-
ing Master in Chancery, U. S. Circuit Court.
District of Minnesota, and has lectured on public
and private corporations and civil law in the law
department of the state university. Mr. ,M)br)tt
is the author of several valuable works on the
law of corporations, the most recent being a
three volume work on municipal corporations.
which has received the highest encomiums from
judges and lawyers as a discussion of rare schol-
arship and analytical acuteness. Mr. Abbott
has also distinguished himself as a bond and
security expert and an authority on railway ques-
tions. He is now a director of the .Minneapolis
Trust Co., and a member of the executive com-
mittee. The family, which is descended from
George .\bbott of Rowley, Mass., who came to
this country in 1632. can boast of many members
who have done notable work in literature, as the
historian J. S. C. Abbott. Jacob Abbott, noted
as an educator and writer, and .A.ustin and Ben-
jamin Vaughn Abbott as lawyers and the distin-
guished Dr. Lyman Abbott, who are near rela-
tives of Howard S. Abbott.
Mr. Abbott is a member of the Minneapolis,
the Minikahda and the Lafayette Clubs and a
Howard s. abbott.
member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon college fra-
ternity. He attends St. Marks Episcopal Church
and is a member of the vestry of that parish and
one of the trustees of the Diocese of Minne-
sota. He was married on June 28, 1898, to Mary
Louise Johnson, of Racine, Wis. To them two
children have been born, Emily Louise and
Howard Johnson.
ALBERT, Charles Stanley, lawyer, is a Penn-
sylvanian, born at Williamsport, July lO, 1872,
and the son of .Mien D. and Sarah A. (Faber)
.•\lbert. Until he was sixteen he went to the
common schools of Wilkesbarre — to which city
his parents removed when he was four — and of
Towanda, where he lived between ten and sixteen.
His father then took a post as a government offi-
cial at Washington, D. C, and his son Charles
studied law in the office of Worthington & Heald
and attended the law school of Columbian Uni-
versity, (now George Washington University).
He graduated from Columbian with his LL. B. in
1892, and LL. M. in 1893, then came to Min-
neapolis and entered the office of Benton, Rob-
erts & Brown, attending the University of Min-
nesota law school in the winters of '93-'94- He
received his I-L. B. from this in 1894. Between
1897 and 1900 Mr. Albert was in partnership with
W. E. Dodge. After Mr. Dodge's appointment
as general attorney for the Great Northern Rail-
142
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
way, with headquarters at St. Paul, he formed a
partnership with Rome G. Brown. jMr. Albert is
a gold democrat. He belongs to the legal fra-
ternity of Phi Delta Phi and to the American,
State, Hennepin County and Minneapolis Bar
associations, and is a member of the Minneapolis,
Minikahda, and the Lafayette clubs. He is un-
married. As a member of the firm of Rome G.
Brown and Charles S. Albert he is attorney for a
large number of corporations in Minneapolis and
in Minnesota.
ANKENY, Alexander Thompson, son of Isaac
Ankeny and Eleanore Parker Ankeny, was born
at Somerset, Pennsylvania, December 27, 1837.
After receiving in his native town a common school
education he attended the Disciples' College at
Hiram, Ohio, and later an academy at Morgan-
town, West Virginia, and Jefferson College at
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He then received an
appointment at Washington in the office of the
United States Attorney General, Hon. Jeremiah
S. Black, at the same time reading law there. He
was admitted to the bar at Somerset in April,
i86r. During the war he held a position of more
than ordinary trust in the War Department under
Hon. Edwin M. Stanton. Mr. Ankeny came to
Minneapolis in April, 1872, and for some years
was connected with the/ lumber firm of W. P.
Ankeny & Bro. In 1878 he resumed law prac-
tice and has since continued therein. During his
BHUSH, PHOTO
ALEXANDER T. ANKENY.
residence in the city he has been identified with
its best progress and development. He has fre-
quently been a candidate of the democrats, in
1890 coming within a few votes of election as
one of the district judges. In 1896 he was the
party candidate for mayor. From 1886 to 1895
he was a member of the board of education, and
for the last four years of the term was its presi-
dent, also being ex-officio a member of the li-
brary board. From 1899 to 1903 he was presi-
dent of the state normal school board. Mr. An-
keny was one of the incorporators of the Ma-
sonic Temple Association in 1885, and for sev-
eral years has been president of the board. He
is identified with the Portland Avenue Church
of Christ and is one of its three trustees. Mr.
.'\nkeny was married at Wheeling, West Virginia,
in 1861, to Miss Martha V. Moore. Four children
now grown reside in this city, the eldest dan.c:hter,
Mrs. Chester McKusick, having died at Duluth,
.Minnesota, in 1900. Mrs. Ankeny died here May
27, 1904.
-\RCTANDER, Ludvig, lawyer, was born at
Skien, Norway, on January 3. 1863, the son of
.'\ugust' H. and Caroline Ahlsell Arctanf'or. His
father was a college professor at Skien. The
Arctander family is one of the old families of
Norway and one whose members have taken an
active part in the intellectual and political life
of the country for four hunds'ed j'ears. A cousir.,
Sophus Arctander, is a member of the present
Norwegian cabinet and was one of the chief
actors in the movement which resulted in the
dissolution of the union between Norway and
Sweden. As a boy Mr. Arctander attended the
high school and college at Skien and received
the degree of M. A. at the University of Chris-
tiania in 1881. In the same year he emigrated to
the United States. He first went to Willmar.
Minnesota and taught school in Kandiyohi and
Renville counties during 1882, '83 and '84; edited
the Willmar .^rgus in 1885 and all this time do-
voted himself to the study rif law. He was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1885 and in January, 1880,
commenced practice in Minneapolis. His twenty
years of practice have been closely devoted to
his profession and he has given little time to
outside pursuits. His only participation in poli-
tics has been as an independent voter and citizen
— so much so that he has no party affiliations
and has never taken any active part in political
campaigns or filled public office. Mr. .\rctander
was married in 1903 to Mrs. Dolly Miller. They
have nil rbihlrcn.
AUSTIN. Charles D.. lawyer, is the son <•!
David .'\ustin, a Maine farmer. He was born
April 26. 1856, at Belgrade. Kennebec county,
Maine. He was brought up on his father's farm
to which he returned for his vacations while fit-
ting for and attending college. During a portion
of the lime he was attending college he spent
COURTS AND LAWYERS
143
6WEEr, PMOTO
i'UAi;i.i;.s II. AUSTIN.
his vacations in teaching- school to defray ex-
penses. He attended the Weslcyan College bnt
did not complete the course there. In the year
1880, upon the advice of his brother, Horace Aus-
tin, Ex-Governor of Minnesota, then Register of
the United States Land Office at Fargo, Dakota,
he started for Fargo reaching therein the spring
of that year. At that place he entered the gov-
ernment service in the Land Office where he re-
mained for about one year while looking for a
suitable place to locate permanently.
He located at Lisbon, Ransom County, Da-
kota Territory (now North Dakota) on July 5th.
1881, when the town was forty miles from the
nearest railroad station. This section of the
country was just being developed and he did a
large land and loan business from the outset.
Having been admitted to the bar in 1882 he en-
gaged in the practice of law in addition to liix
other business.
He was a member of the territorial legisla-
ture during the session of 1884-5, the stormy ses-
sion at which an attempt was made to remove
the capital from Bismarck. He held several other
offices having been mayor of Lisbon, a member
of the board of education, besides holding several
minor offices. As a lawyer, Mr. Austin was en-
gaged in important litigation. The Hewitt case,
involving the right of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company to select indemnity lands as
against an entryman, which was carried to the
Supreme Court of the United States by him and
where his contention was finally sustained, was
a very important case and one of general inter-
est.
On June ist, 1893, he moved to Minneapolis
and formed a partnership with Judge Bailey,
which continued until his death. After that he
was in partnership with Judge Pierce for several
years, but is now in business for himself. Mr.
.Austin is a Republican. He is a member of the
Westminster Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis.
By his marriage to x'^delaide J. Van Vleck, Jan-
uary 25, 1888, he has one child — Van Vleck Aus-
tin.
B.-\.RD\^â– ELL, Winfield W., was born July 18,
1807, at E.xcelsior, Hennepin county, Minnesota,
son of William E. and Araminta Hamblet Bard-
well, his father being an engineer. .-Kfter attending
the common schools and academy at Excelsior,
Winfield entered the office of Harlan P. Roberts
in Minneapolis as stenographer and clerk, and
then took a course of law at the State University,
receiving from that institution the degree of LL.
B., and the supplementary degree of LL. M., for
the required graduate work. Since 1891 Mr. Bard-
weU has been engaged in the practice of his pro-
fession, first in partnership with James M. Bur-
lingame, as Burlingame & Bardwell, and later
with C. L. Weeks, as Bardwell & Weeks, and
WIXIIKI.Ii W. BAKIiWELL.
144
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
s«eeT, PHOTO
JOHN T. IIAXTKR.
latterly he has practiced alone. Mr. Bardwell was
a member nf the legislature in the sessions nf
lyo.vigo.S, and chairman of the Hennepin count}-
delegation and of the committee on insurance in
1905. lie intrnihued and put tln-r>uf;li liill- f^r
general salary adin^fnunt of Hennepin ciiunl\
officials and introduced a bill placing city clerk,
assessor and engineers on the elective basis, but
the iuia>nre ilid not pass the senate. Afr. Bard-
well is a niemhir of the Commercial Club, of the
.Masonic < >rdc 1. and tlie Royal .'\rcanuni. .Secre-
tary cjf the Hennepin County Bar Assoei.atiiin,
and member of the executive com mil in nf the
Minneapolis Bar Association. Mr. Ilardwell is
a member of the Park .\\euue Congregatinnal
Church. He was married in iSoJ to I'.dilh M.iy
t'li.nnpliii .Old tlirer ehihiren h,i\e ]}ern liorn In
them, .Mildred I.. Charles (.'h.'ini]diii .•ind M.'irion.\,
BAXTICR, J(dm T., general counsel for the
Northwestern National Life Insurance Company,
was born at Berlin, Wisconsin, on October 15;,
1862, the son of Thomas Baxter and Susannah
{ Lewis) Baxter. He acquired a grannnar and
high school education at West Salem, Wisconsin,
and then entered Ripon College at Ripon, Wis-
consin, for a preparatt)ry course. He studied
there for three years, taking a prominent part in
the oratorical work of his school; and at the
same time held a position as express messenger
with the American Express Coinpany. In 1885
he matriculated at Williams College, and grad-
uated with an A. B. degree in 1887, winning the
\'i\n Vechten prize, awarded to the best ex-
tempore speaker of the graduating class by the
popular vote of the students and faculty. He
moved to Minneapolis and the following year
commenced to qualify liimself for the legal pro-
fession by studying law in a Minneapolis law
office and in i88g was admitted to the bar. Mr.
Ilaxfer liegan his active legal practice in 1890
at .Minneapolis, and in 190G was appointed gen-
eral counsel for the Northwestern National Life
Insurance Company, a position he now holds.
In 1891 Mr. Baxter was married to Miss Gertrude
Hooker of Minneapolis, and they have three
children, Beth, Helen and John, aged respec-
livcly fifteen, eleven and four years. Mr. Baxter
IS a member of the- Commercial Club, the Six
O'clock Club, the American Bar Association
and the Minneapolis Bar Association of which he
was for fifteen years secretary.
BLI~,ECKER, George Morton, was born at
VVhippany, New Jersey, on November 19, 1S61,
being descended from one of the earlier Knicker-
bocker families wdio settled on Manhattan island.
He attended the public schools and Whippany
.\cademy, and after coming to ]\linneapolis, in
188,^, entered the University of Minnesota and
i-ontimied special work during that and the fol-
lU.KKCKKU.
COURTS AND LAWYERS
145
lowing year. His legal education was acquired
in the law department of the University of
Michigan, which he entered in 1885. After
graduating in June, 1887, Mr. Bleecker returned
to Minneapolis and was admitted to the bar of
Minnesota in December of that year, and has
practiced in this city continuously since that date.
With the exception of three years, from 1894 to
1897, when he was associated with Edward E.
Witchie, Mr, Bleecker has practiced alone. His
clients include a number of the larger corpora-
tions of the city and state and his practice ex-
tends into the state and federal courts. ?ilr.
Bleecker has not taken an active part in political
affairs, but has had a lively interest in good poli-
tics, and has twice been called upon to serve the
public. He served as clerk of the Probate Court
of Hennepin county during the years 1891 and
1892, and was also a representative in the State
Legislature during the session of 1893, and would
probably have received further honors had he
not been a democrat living in a republican dis-
trict. Mr. Bleecker is married (his wife was
Mary Frances Martin) and the family attend the
Episcopal church. He is a member of several oi'
the social and fraternal organizations of the city,
including the Masonic and Odd Fellows bodies
and the Order of Elks.
BRIGHT, Alfred H., general counsel for the
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Rail-
road, was the son of Thomas Bright and Jane
(Crittendon) Bright and was born at Adams Cen-
ter, New York. Thomas Bright was of English
birth, coming to New York when ten years of
age and removing, in 1850 to Wisconsin where his
son attended the common schools and the state
university from which he graduated in 1874 with
the degree A. B. and L. B. Two years later he