John Homer Howe (September 12, 1822 – April 3, 1873) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the Territorial Wyoming Supreme Court from April 6, 1869 to October 14, 1871. Born in

Riga, New York Riga is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 5,590 at the 2010 census. The Town of Riga is southwest of the city of Rochester on the western border of the county. Locally, the town's name is pronounced RYE-ga, ins ...

, Howe first began to practice law in Ohio,Wyoming State Archives biography of John H. Howe, available at 2301 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001. eventually moving to Kewanee, Henry County, Illinois, where he became a prominent lawyer, and eventually held the office of Circuit Judge."General John H. Howe", '' Chicago Tribune'' (April 8, 1869), p. 2. In 1862, while continuing to serve as a judge, he entered the Union Army as a captain in the 124th Illinois Infantry Regiment. He was made lieutenant colonel soon after, and was an actual command of the regiment during its service. He won distinction during the Vicksburg campaign, and in 1865 was made a Brevet Brigadier General. After the war he resumed his legal practice, and was frequently talked of as a candidate for congress in the 5th District. On April 6, 1869, President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

appointed Howe chief justice of the Wyoming Territory. The entire Congressional Delegation for Illinois united in recommending him for this appointment. When the Territory of Wyoming extended the right to vote to women in 1870, Howe, as chief justice, interpreted this to mean that women could also serve on juries, and encouraged them to do so.Holly J. McCammon, ''The U.S. Women's Jury Movements and Strategic Adaptation: A More Just Verdict'' (2012), p. 39. Howe's efforts resulted in the first "mixed" juries, containing both men and women, which Howe argued would have a "civilizing" effect on proceedings, and give women greater power to address legal wrongs against them. Howe's efforts were resisted by male lawyers, and ultimately his successor in office reversed this policy. Howe resigned on October 14, 1871, and was later appointed as secretary to a commission adjudicating a boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico. Howe died in Laredo, Texas, and was interred in Kewanee, Illinois."Far West Point", ''Fort Scott Daily Monitor'' (May 4, 1873), p. 4.

References

Justices of the Wyoming Supreme Court 1822 births 1873 deaths People from Kewanee, Illinois People from Monroe County, New York People of Illinois in the American Civil War Union Army generals Illinois state court judges Illinois lawyers Ohio lawyers 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Wyoming-state-judge-stub