Stephen Armstrong DeWolf (March 1833 – October 27, 1907) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge who served as a justice of the Territorial

Montana Supreme Court The Montana Supreme Court is the supreme court, highest court of the state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court w ...

, appointed by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

and serving from 1888 to 1889.

Early life, education, and career

Born in

Hawkins County, Tennessee Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,721. Its county seat is Rogersville. Hawkins County is part of the Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the J ...

,Michael A. Leeson, ''History of Montana, 1739-1885: A History of Its Discovery and Settlement'' (1885), p. 1331. DeWolf studied at the Pennsylvania University at Gettysburg, and the Jefferson College in Cannonsburg. He entered law studies at

Lexington, Missouri Lexington is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,726 at the 2010 census. Lexington is in western Missouri, within the Kansas City metropolitan area, approximately east of Kansas C ...

, and graduated from Lebanon Law School of Cumberland University in 1857. In 1859, after briefly practicing law in Lexington, he moved to

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

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, as agent and attorney for army contractors Russell, Magors & Waddle. Subsequently, he accepted the editorial management of the ''Valley Tan'' newspaper, and while holding this position wrote the first account of the

Mountain Meadow Massacre A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

. This article "created so much hostility in Mormon circles, that a delegation of saints waited on him, demanding a retraction". He refused, and reportedly "was warned to leave Salt Lake without further notice". His office was destroyed by a mob in his absence.

Political and judicial career

After living in Salt Lake City for five years, DeWolf moved to California where he engaged in the livestock business for three years before returning to Salt Lake City in 1867, having been appointed to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah. In 1879 he settled at

Butte, Montana Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the 2 ...

, and opened a law office. He was elected to the Twelfth Montana Legislative Assembly from

Deer Lodge County, Montana Deer Lodge County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 9,421. It forms a consolidated city-county government with its county seat of Anaconda, Mo ...

, in 1881, and ran for the Territorial Council on the Democratic ticket at the following election, but was defeated by eleven votes. In 1884, he succeeded in a bid to be elected to the Fourteenth Legislative Council. DeWolfe served as the Butte City Attorney from 1886 to 1888 and was appointed an associate justice of the Montana Territorial Supreme Court by President Cleveland in 1888.

Personal life and death

DeWolf never married, but lived with his sister his entire life. He died in

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

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, at the age of 74."Judge Stephen De Wolf", ''The Butte Daily Post'' (October 29, 1901), p. 4.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:DeWolf, Stephen 1833 births 1907 deaths Gettysburg College alumni Washington & Jefferson College alumni Cumberland School of Law alumni Justices of the Montana Supreme Court United States Article I federal judges appointed by Grover Cleveland Montana Democrats