William Henry Stilwell
| William Henry Stilwell | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice, Arizona Territorial Supreme Court | |
|
In office December 3, 1880 – August 7, 1882 |
|
| Nominated by | Rutherford B. Hayes |
| Preceded by | Charles Silent |
| Succeeded by | Wilson W. Hoover |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 24, 1849 St. Lawrence County, New York |
| Died | May 8, 1928 (aged 78) Phoenix, Arizona |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Harriet Newell Bean |
| Profession | Attorney |
William Henry Stilwell(May 24, 1849 – May 8, 1928) was an American jurist who served as Associate Justice on the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court from 1880 till 1882. Following his removal from the bench, he remained in the territory where he was active in Republican politics and became an expert in mining law and water rights.
Stilwell was born on May 24, 1849 in St. Lawrence County, New York to Mary (Brazee) and James Stilwell. He was educated in public schools at Ogdensburg, New York, Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary, and Potsdam Normal School before his graduation from the Albany Law School in 1875. Following graduation, Stilwell moved to New York City where he worked for the legal firm of Peckham & Tremain.
Stilwell's involvement in national politics began in July 1878. When President Rutherford B. Hayes replaced Chester A. Arthur with Edwin A. Merritt as Collector of the Port of New York, Stilwell became Merritt's assistant. In this role he acted as official secretary and also assisted the custom house's legal department.
His promotion to the bench came when President Hayes gave Stilwell a recess appointment as Associate Justice to the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court. The new justice was commissioned on December 3, 1880 and arrived in the territory in February of the next year. Initially assigned to Prescott, at the time Chief Justice C. G. W. French was requesting reassignment away from the southern portion of the territory. When Stilwell had no objections, the 11th Arizona Territorial Legislature granted the Chief Justice his request and assigned Stilwell to oversee Cochise, Graham, Pima, and Pinal counties. During his time on the bench Stilwell authored no legal opinions as Chief Justice French reserved this task for himself.
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