The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26

szM .llLl.lIlI..l!M
this, distinguished names are found
one after another in the roll of the
supreme bench. The state was ably
served by James Gilfillan, Christopher
G. Ripley. F. r. E. Cornell and 9TH
ers OF repute in these early days.
Hennepin County Courts.
AS has been stated, the first term
OF court ever convened in what is
now Hennepin county was the terri
torial district court of 1S49. Possibly
the lack of business discouraged the
bench, for the old records show little
attention to district court matters for
some years thereafter. But the people
had a justice of the peace, and to him
they carried their local litigation evil
IDENTIFY to their own satisfaction.2 :. The
justice best loved in the pioneer days
was the renowned Lardner BostW1ck
who, without legal knowledge, but
with honesty and love of justice, meted
out equity after his own fashion for
many years. Many important ques-
tiOns involving matters quite beyond
the jurisdiction of a justice court were
taken up, unquestioned, in those days,
and the decisions Of the justices were
Judge BOstwicks court was held 5in a
small frame building at the corner OF
Main street and Second avenue Me- {
In 1853 the territorial legislature
passed an act directing that two terms
of court be held each year in Hen
pursuant to this law convened on.Aprll
4, 1853. There was, of course, no
courthouse, and the commissioners Sc
cured the use of a parlor and two
bedrooms in the house of Arson North
rup, on First street, near Fourth ave-
nue. S. At this term the lawyers pres
ent were Isaac Atwater, D. A. Sc
combe, E. L. Hall, James H. Fridley
and George W. Prescott. The county
attorney was Warren Bristol, who was
the only lawyer present who resided
in Hennepin county. The clerk Of the
court was Sweet w. Case, and the
foreman Of the grand jury impaneled
terms of the district court, until the
erection of the courthouse at Eighth
avenue S and Fourth street, were held
in a frame building on Bridge Square.
The building of the first courthouse
caused great commotion in the village,
owing to the rival claims Of the upper
and lower town for preference. The
choice of the site at Eighth avenue S
indicated that people in 1857 believed
that the business center would ulti-
mately be far south Of it's present To-
cation.
The first term Of the district court
| held in the new courthouse Of 1857
was presided over by the late Judge
Flandrau. Upon the organization Of
the state next year, James Hall Of Lit
tie Falls became the first judge Of this,
the fourth judicial district, which then
included thirteen counties beside Hen
nepin.
|
one Judge to q district, the growing
tneeds Of the fourth district were met
by the gradual looping off of outside
counties. But in 1872 it became neces-
sary to provide for larger business. and
a court Of common pleas was created,
with Austin Fl. Young as Judge. After
a few years this extra court was found
cumbersome, and it was merged in the
district court.
Conditions in 1873.
It seems almost Incredible that only
twenty-five years ago-the year T h e
j o urn al was founded-only two
judges sat upon the district court
bench in Minneapolis. Judge Charles
e. Vanderburgh and Judge Young al
that time handled all the business OF
the district; and the district still in.
cluded several counties besides Hen
neptn. In 1873 there were seventy
y over 400. The business of the courts
. is shown by the number of cases filed
: In tho fall Of 1878-Oct. 1.-The tota
0 number of civil cases filed In this dis
y trict had reached 8.742, or an aver
r age of less than $50 per annum since
: Of this year the file number was 81,
+ 346, showing that S2,604 cases hat
a been filed in the twenty-five years, O.
an average Of $500 q year. The com
= parison Of criminal cases Is also in
r teresting. The total Of these cases OF
Oct. 1, 1878, was GOA, while twenty
five years later it had reached 1901
I a showing Of $500 criminal cases IL
: the quarter century.
! Lawyers of 1873.
- Tho lawyers practicing In Mime
q apolis In 1878, according to the cit.
. directory of that year, were thesei
), w. S. M. Abbott, 101 Washington
avenue S.
: Charles Allen, 1o1 Central avenue
: John B. Atwater, Pence opera
,. house.
: Atwater & webster. Pence opera
- house. III: :
Q F. B. Bailey, 10 Hennepin avenue
- G. J. Bartleson, over Northwestern,
> bank. II
. Baxter s. Reed, Pence opera-house
Beebe s. Biddle, liz Hennepin ave
nue.. ~ *
Benton g. Benton, 81 Second street 6
o w. g. Best, Il Hennepin avenue. =
q Boardman & Boardman. 10 Wash
Is ington avenue N. ~ ..
t ,Bradish s. Dunn, 81 washingto
n avenue s.. iss4se%
e Bradley 8 Morrison, III Washing
It ton avenue 8.
Is A. q. Chaplin, room 1, Academy q
10 Music,
n q. ChatAal6 ia Eanrentr, ava
r nue..
TT nue.. ,sa
Il P. Q. ohilstron. 80 washinston ave
# 8. q. Comfort, sas Henn.pin av.
) JACOB H.. Cook. a1s washinsto
) avenue 8.
) q. A. Couillard. 80 Washington ave-
ID nue. s..
Is W., r. Gary, 2AB Nicollet avenue.
s. Cross & Hicks, 220 Nicollet avenu,
b. ]. Davenport, room 10, Brackett
block.
l.. G. M. Ferguson. IL Washington ave
tel nue. s.
t s. G. Gale. Washington avenue, co,
ii ner Of Nicollet avenue.
10 Giddings & Lane. room 2, Wagner
e block.
ID u. A. Cove, room 10, Harrison blocl
le Anton Grethen. Peneesopera-h ous
l. J. w. Griffin, Northwestern Ban
n building d