Lawyers
Lawyers
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The Old Brick Court HouseOne of the earliest brick buildings erected in Flint village at this time was the new court house. At a meeting of the supervisors in 1847, a movement was begun for a fire-proof building; no results were obtained until 1851, when the board appoint Julian Bishop, of Grand Blanc, D. N. Montague, of Vienna, and William Patterson, of Flint, as a building committee “to receive proposals, and cause to be erected a substantial fire-proof county building.” For offices for the county clerk, treasurer, register of deeds and judge of probate. The building was to be erected on the court house square at an expense of not more than one thousand five hundred dollars. It was finished the same year by Enos and Reuben Goodrich at a cost of about nine hundred dollars.
Early Lawyers
Among the Flint lawyers who probably tried
cases in this building was James Birdsall, who came to the village in 1839. He
was a native of Chenango County, New York, where he had been a banker,
politician, extensive lumberman on the Susquehanna River, president of the
Norwich bank, and a member of the lower house of Congress; he was seventy-three
years old at the time of his death in Flint in 1856. Artemas Thayer was admitted
to the bar in Flint in the same year Mr. Birdsall came; he later became an
extensive dealer in real estate. Alexander P. Davis, a native of Cayuga County,
New York, removed to Flint in 1842 from Livingston County, Michigan, and for
nearly thirty years was one of the most prominent lawyers in the county; he was
elected to the office of prosecuting attorney, State Senator and other positions
of honor. Levi Walker, a native of Washington County, New York, came to Flint in
1847. He held many positions of high honor and rendered signal services to his
fellowmen. Of him it has been said, “As a lawyer, he stood in many respects at
the head of his profession. His opinion upon any law point was considered by his
professional brethren as almost conclusive.” At the time of his death, while he
was a member of the Legislature, the speaker of the house said, “It is no
exaggeration to say that in the death of Mr. Walker the house has lost one of
its best and ablest members. Shrinking from no labor, with watchful attention to
every detail, he was never satisfied until he had thoroughly mastered his
subject. Then, with clearness of argument and aptness of illustration he
presented his views, almost invariably to receive the sanction and approval of
his associates.” |
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