Edward Stillings (July 9, 1823 – February 20, 1890) was an American lawyer, politician, judge, and businessman.

Early life

Edward Stillings was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland in the early 19th century. He was the son of James Stillings and Mary Barnes, a descendant of Sir George Barne III. His parents descended from English immigrants of the colonial era who participated in the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

as intelligence operatives, among other activities. His father James would serve in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. His parents were planters and slaveholders. However, the institution of slavery never appealed to them, and they freed their slaves. They moved west to Springfield, Ohio in 1828, before settling in Union County, Ohio in 1834, on that his father had purchased. James would be a trustee of Allen Township in Union County in 1841 and 1847. Edward was raised in a Christian home and was well-educated as a young man, going on to graduate from Augusta College in Kentucky, studying the classics and mastering the Greek language.Proceedings, p. 8 Edward decided he wanted to pursue law as a profession, and would ride his horse to Massachusetts to enroll in the Law Department at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. After receiving his law degree, he returned to Ohio, clerking for Judge Cole in

Marysville, Ohio Marysville is a city in Union County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 25,571 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located approximately northwest of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, it is part of the Columbus met ...

before establishing his own practice after being admitted to the bar in Cincinnati in April 1846.

Marriage and family

Edward married Mary Smith on December 29, 1851 One of their sons, Vinton, was born in 1852. Mary was the granddaughter of Lt. Col. Cyrus Smith, who served under General Hull during the War of 1812 and for whom Edward had known from Maryland. Vinton was educated at the

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

in New Hampshire where he was class president in 1874. However, he was educated at the

University of Heidelberg Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...

in Germany after lacking interest to attend

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

as Exeter had prepared him for. He eventually became a State Senator in Kansas in 1904 and served many terms. Edward's wife Mary died in July 1894, four years after Edward died in 1890.

Political and legal career

Stillings became involved in politics soon after returning to Ohio, first as a member of the Whig Party, and eventually an original member of the Republican Party. In 1851 he was elected to the Kenton City Council and later to the Ohio General Assembly as a Republican representative. Notable legislation while there included Edward authoring the first turnpike law in Ohio history. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, many of Edward's relatives would serve on the Union side. He was appointed to the Military Committee of Hardin County, by the Governor William Dennison, Jr. in 1861. Shortly thereafter, a friend of Edward's he knew earlier in life from Kenton, Ohio,

Thomas Carney Thomas Carney (August 20, 1824 – July 28, 1888) was the second governor of Kansas. Biography Carney was born in Delaware County, Ohio, to James and Jane Carney. James died in 1828, leaving a widow and four young sons. Thomas remained at hom ...

, had become the Governor of Kansas. At his request to come to Kansas to help forge the infant state ahead, Edward accepted.Kansas and Kansans, p.2729 ¶3

Kansas

Edward arrived in Leavenworth, Kansas in 1863. He was appointed city attorney of Leavenworth by the Carney administration. He would also be active in the business world, operating wagon trains across Kansas to forward goods to California and helping to construct the Kansas Central Railway. He would serve as the attorney for the First National Bank in Leavenworth, Kansas Central Railroad, Leavenworth and Atchison Railroad, and many other corporations in Kansas. A notable client also included

Brigham Young Brigham Young ( ; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until h ...

of Salt Lake City. He would be elected several times to the Kansas Legislature, where he was at one time the Chairman of the Judiciary CommitteeProceedings, p. 8 and would serve as a Judge pro tem of the

District Court District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations, some call them "small case court" usually as the lowest level of the hierarchy. These courts generally work under a higher court which exercises control over the lower co ...

. In 1877 as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he would create the positions of three commissioners to codify the laws of the state, in which he would be appointed to one of those positions. Having a wealth of knowledge of the Ohio code from his days in the legislature there, much of the Kansas code would be copied from Ohio's. Stillings would argue many cases before the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

. He was considered one of the preeminent jurists in Kansas of that time. The Edward Stillings House at 303 N. Esplanade, in th
North Esplanade Historic District
of Leavenworth, is listed among the National Register of Historic Places.Nomination Form

Notes

References

*History of Union County. Union County Historical Society

Unknown. 22 dec 2008 *Connelley, William Elsey
" A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans."
Lewis. 1918. 22 dec 2008
"Proceedings ... Annual Meeting."
State Convention, Bar Association of the State of Kansas, Kansas. Bar Association of the State of Kansas. 1890. 22 dec 2008.
"Vinton Stillings."
Access Genealogy. Unknown. 22 dec 2008 *Civil War Soldiers and Sailors

Unknown. 22 dec 2008 *Moore, Henry Miles.
"Early History of Leavenworth City and County."
Sam Dodsworth Book Co. 1906. 22 dec 2008
Nomination Form
National Register of Historic Places. 1973. 22 dec 2008 *History of Hardin County. Hardin County Historical Society

Unknown. 22 dec 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Stillings 1823 births 1890 deaths Politicians from Leavenworth, Kansas Members of the Kansas House of Representatives Members of the Ohio General Assembly Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Harvard Law School alumni Ohio Whigs Ohio Republicans Kansas Republicans People from Havre de Grace, Maryland 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Kansas Legislature