Vol. 73, No. 5, May
2000
Mid-1800s
to Early 1900s: Practicing in the Wilds of Manitowoc County
James Sibree Anderson
James Sibree Anderson was born in Scotland in 1841, came to this
country with his parents, two brothers and two sisters in 1852, and
settled on a wooded tract in what is now the town of Kossuth. After
moving to the neighboring village of Manitowoc in 1855, Anderson
continued his education in the public schools until joining the Union
Army in 1861 at age 18 as one of the original 104 members of Company A,
Fifth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. He was wounded in several battles,
the last at Gains Mills, and was mustered out of service in July
1864.
After the war, Anderson studied law at Lawrence
University in Appleton. He was admitted to the Bar in Manitowoc in 1871,
and was appointed a county judge in 1895. He died in 1927 as a result of
being struck by a cyclist in front of his office on North Eighth Street.
[Armond Kueter, "Centennial Celebration" Herald Times Reporter,
Manitowoc, Wis., 1998-99]
At the 1919 June term of the Manitowoc circuit court, a memorial
service was held for a member who died some time previously. Among
others, Anderson spoke in tribute to the deceased, and alluded to the
fact that by reason of his residence in the county for more than 60
years he had personally known every lawyer who had practiced at the
Manitowoc bar since its organization in 1848. Anderson grew reminiscent
and spoke of some of those who were pioneers in the early work of the
court, who had passed away and lived only in local tradition. Those
present became interested and said their story should be preserved. One
remarked, "Why do you not write it? You are the only one left who
can."
Anderson's collections and recollections were published originally as
a series of papers in the Manitowoc Pilot during the winter of
1920-21. The completion of these newspaper publications and the
occurrence of the fiftieth anniversary of Anderson's admission to the
bar were so nearly contemporaneous that the Manitowoc County bar was
moved to celebrate those concurring events by a dinner in his honor on
Feb. 15, 1921.
As a token of its "love and as a measure, though wholly inadequate,
of their appreciation," the Manitowoc bar undertook to republish the
papers in one volume, under Anderson's editorial supervision. [L.J.
Nash, A. Hougen, H.L. Markham, E.L. Kelley, A.J. Wyseman,
"Introductory," Pioneer Courts and Lawyers of Manitowoc County,
Wisconsin, Dec. 1, 1921]
The accompanying text is excerpted primarily from chapters 13 and 17
of Pioneer Courts and Lawyers of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin,
and is reprinted here with permission from the Manitowoc County
Historical Society, which reprinted the publication in 1997. The
134-page book is available for $10 plus $3.50 shipping/handling from the
Manitowoc County Historical Society, P.O. Box 574, Manitowoc, WI
54221-0574, phone (920) 684-4445, fax (920) 684-0573.
In addition to Robert P. Fay, Manitowoc County Historical Society
executive director, who provided us with Pioneer Courts and
Lawyers, the Wisconsin Lawyer editors thank Milwaukee
attorney Raymond J. Pollen for alerting us to this charming
publication.
Wisconsin Lawyer