Hoyt Henry Wheeler
Hoyt Henry Wheeler (August 30, 1833 – November 19, 1906) was an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court and later a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont.
Hoyt Henry Wheeler | |
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Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont | |
In office March 16, 1877 – September 30, 1906 | |
Appointed by | Rutherford B. Hayes |
Preceded by | David Allen Smalley |
Succeeded by | James Loren Martin |
Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court | |
In office 1869–1877 | |
Preceded by | John Prout |
Succeeded by | Walter C. Dunton |
Member of the Vermont Senate from Windham County | |
In office 1868–1869 Serving with David Goodell | |
Preceded by | Daniel Kellogg Homer Goodhue |
Succeeded by | David Goodell Vacant (After Hoyt's resignation) |
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Jamaica | |
In office 1867–1868 | |
Preceded by | Abijah Muzzy |
Succeeded by | Joel Holton |
Personal details | |
Born | Hoyt Henry Wheeler August 30, 1833 Chesterfield, New Hampshire |
Died | November 19, 1906 73) Brattleboro, Vermont | (aged
Resting place | Morningside Cemetery Brattleboro, Vermont |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Minnie L. Maclay (m. 1861-1904, her death) |
Profession | Attorney |
Education and career
Wheeler was born on August 30, 1833, in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, a son of John Wheeler and Roxana (Hall) Wheeler.[1] He was raised and educated in Chesterfield and Newfane, Vermont, including attendance at the Chesterfield Academy, where he later taught.[2] He also taught at schools in Dummerston, Vermont, Newfane, Townshend, Vermont and Westminster, Vermont.[2] Wheeler began to study law while teaching, and learned under the tutelage of attorneys Charles K. Field, Jonathan Dorr Bradley and George Bradley Kellogg.[1] He was admitted to the bar in 1859, and practiced in Jamaica from 1859 to 1867, first in partnership with John E. Butler, then as senior partner with Lavant M. Reed.[1] A Republican, he was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives in 1867.[1] He was a member of the Vermont Senate from 1868 to 1869.[1] He was an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1869 to 1877, succeeding Justice John Prout.[1][3]
Federal judicial service
Wheeler was nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes on March 15, 1877, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Vermont vacated by Judge David Allen Smalley.[1] According to contemporary accounts, Wheeler had not sought the appointment,[2] but received it because he had made a favorable impression on Hayes when Hayes visited Newfane.[4] (Hayes's family was originally from nearby Dummerston.[5]) He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 16, 1877, and received his commission the same day.[6] He retired in October 1906, following the confirmation of James Loren Martin as his successor.[7][8]
Death and burial
Wheeler died in Brattleboro on November 19, 1906.[9] He was buried at Morningside Cemetery in Brattleboro.[9]
Family
In 1861, Wheeler married Minnie L. Maclay of Lockport, New York.[1] They had no children, but raised as their own a nephew, John Knowlton, the son of Mrs. Wheeler's sister Elizabeth and her husband Benjamin L. Knowlton.[1]
Honors
In 1886, Wheeler received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Vermont.[10]
References
- Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont.
- Annals of Brattleboro.
- A Memorial Sketch of John Prout.
- "Judge H. H. Wheeler".
- The Life of Rutherford Birchard Hayes.
- "Nominations Confirmed: Hoyt H. Wheeler".
- "Judge Wheeler's Retirement".
- "Mr. Martin's Appointment".
- "Judge Wheeler's Funeral".
- "Personal: Honorary Degrees".
Sources
Books
- Cabot, Mary Rogers (1921). Annals of Brattleboro, 1681-1895. 1. Brattleboro, VT: E. L. Hildreth & Company. pp. 961– – via Ancestry.com.
- Carleton, Hiram (1903). Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont. I. New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 76–77. ISBN 9780806347943.
- Harman, Henry A. (October 25, 1892). A Memorial Sketch of John Prout: Published in the Annual Meeting Proceedings of the Vermont Bar Association. Montpelier, VT: Argus and Patriot Book and Job Printing. pp. 63–67.
- Williams, Charles Richard (1914). The Life of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Nineteenth President of the United States. I. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 6. ISBN 9781623761431.
Newspapers
- "Nominations Confirmed: Hoyt H. Wheeler". Rutland Daily Herald. Rutland, VT. March 17, 1877. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Personal: Honorary Degrees". Vermont Chronicle. Bellows Falls, VT. July 9, 1886. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Judge Wheeler's Retirement". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. October 15, 1906. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Judge Wheeler's Funeral". St. Albans Messenger. St. Albans, VT. November 20, 1906. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Mr. Martin's Appointment". Brattleboro Reformer. Brattleboro, VT. October 26, 1906. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Judge H. H. Wheeler; His Death on Monday Evening of this Week". Vermont Phoenix. Brattleboro, VT. November 23, 1906. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Hoyt Henry Wheeler at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Hoyt Henry Wheeler at Find a Grave
Legal offices | ||
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Preceded by John Prout |
Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court 1869–1877 |
Succeeded by Walter C. Dunton |
Preceded by David Allen Smalley |
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Vermont 1877–1906 |
Succeeded by James Loren Martin |