Orlando Stevens
Orlando Stevens (October 12, 1797 - March 25, 1879) was an attorney and politician whose career included work in Vermont and Minnesota. He is most notable for having served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives, Vermont Senate, and Minnesota House of Representatives.
Biography[edit]
Orlando Stevens was born in Rutland, Vermont on October 12, 1797,[1] the son of David Stevens and Polly (Crafts) Stevens.[2] Orlando Stevens was raised in St. Albans, and was educated at the Franklin County Grammar School[1] and Castleton Seminary.[3] He then studied law with Asa Aldis, was admitted to the bar in 1819, and began to practice in Swanton.[1]
In 1822, Stevens married Parma Fisk (1805-1854), the daughter of James Fisk.[1] At the time, Fisk was the U.S. Collector of Customs in Swanton, and he appointed Stevens as his deputy.[1] Stevens later moved to East Highgate, where he continued to practice law while becoming involved in the lumber business, followed by relocation to St. Albans, where he established a successful law practice.[4] A Whig, Stevens served as state's attorney of Franklin County from 1839 to 1842.[2] From 1845 to 1846 he served in the Vermont House of Representatives.[2] From 1852 to 1853, Stevens served in the Vermont Senate, and was chosen to serve as the Senate's President pro tempore.[5]
After serving in the Vermont Senate, Stevens relocated to Winona, Minnesota, where he continued to practice law.[2] By now a Republican, from 1859 to 1860, Stevens was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.[6] He later suffered a stroke which left him partly paralyzed, and he decided to return to St. Albans, where he lived in retirement.[2]
Death and burial[edit]
Stevens died in St. Albans on March 25, 1879,[2] and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.
Family[edit]
The children of Orlando Stevens and Parma Fisk included daughter Parma, who was the wife of David Olmsted, the first mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Sketch of Orlando Stevens", p. 100.
- ^ a b c d e f The Crafts Family, p. 224.
- ^ "Rutland Notes: The Late Hon. Orlando Stevens", p. 3.
- ^ "Sketch of Orlando Stevens", pp. 100=101.
- ^ Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont (1852), p. 70.
- ^ The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota (1901), p. 102.
- ^ Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America, p. 242.
Sources[edit]
Newspapers[edit]
- "Rutland Notes: The Late Hon. Orlando Stevens". Burlington Democrat and Sentinel. Burlington, VT. April 12, 1879 – via Newspapers.com.
Magazines[edit]
- Mimms, John H. (1892). "Sketch of Orlando Stevens". Report of Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Vermont Bar Association. Vol. III, no. 1. Montpelier, VT: Argus & Patriot Book and Job Print.
Books[edit]
- Crafts, James M.; Crafts, William Francis (1893). The Crafts Family: A Genealogical and Biographical History of the Descendants of Griffin and Alice Craft of Roxbury, Mass., 1630-1890. Northampton, MA: Gazette Printing Company.
- Minnesota State Legislature (1901). The Legislative Manual of the State of Minnesota. St. Paul, MN: Pioneer Press Company.
- Vermont General Assembly (1852). Journal of the House of Representatives and Senate of the State of Vermont. Rutland, VT: Tuttle & Co.
- Ward, George Kemp (1912). Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America. New York, NY: A. T. De La Mare.
External links[edit]
- 1797 births
- 1879 deaths
- People from St. Albans, Vermont
- People from Winona, Minnesota
- Vermont lawyers
- Minnesota lawyers
- Vermont Whigs
- Vermont Republicans
- Minnesota Republicans
- State's attorneys in Vermont
- Members of the Vermont House of Representatives
- Vermont state senators
- Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate
- Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- 19th-century American legislators
- Burials at Greenwood Cemetery (St. Albans, Vermont)
- 19th-century American lawyers
- 19th-century Minnesota politicians