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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.
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