History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

176

cuit judge; and that court lasted about four days. The next term of the
court was the March term, 1828, and the Hon. Judge Chipman, of Detroit, circuit judge presided; that court lasted one day. The third term
held began on Monday the 6th day of October, 1828; Hon. William Woolbridge, and Hon. Soloman Sibley, both of Detroit, circuit judges, jointly
held that term of court which lasted two days. From that time, through
Michigan's territorial existence, until I839, the circuit court was held
from time to time by circuit judges residing outside of Oakland county.
The first legislature that convened after Michigan became a state passed
an act dividing it into four judicial circuits, Oakland county being included in the fourth. The office of circuit judge was not filled until I839;
and there was considerable effort made among the various aspirants to
obtain the position. The friends of Origen D. Richardson made much
effort to have him obtain the office, but they were not successful. After
quite a warm contest Governor Mason decided to appoint Hon. Charles
W. Whipple, of Detroit. The friends of Mr. Richardson had urged that
the nominee should be taken from the judicial district, and this feeling
was quite general among the profession; but they yielded gracefully, and
acorded Judge Whipple a kind reception. When he came here there had
been a long vacation for the'want of a judge, resulting in a large docket;
and Judge Whipple held his first term of court in this circuit, in the fall
of I839. The circuit extended northerly to Mackinac county, and westerly to and including Ionia county.
"I have thus briefly sketched a fragmentary history of all the attorneys practicing in Oakland county, prior to I840. Nearly all of them
were more or less intimately associated with its early history; many of
them with that of the state, having not only a local reputation, but a state
reputation.
"Almost from the first organization of the territorial council, Oakland
county was represented in that legislative body. In the various conventions relative to constitutions, Oakland county held important positions,
and had its share of influence. It is well, therefore, that the names of
the attorneys of Oakland county in its infantile days should be preserved.
This particularly also applies to the counties older than Oakland, Wayne,
Monroe and Macomb. They have had their influential men, whose names
will soon pass into oblivion unless some person, or persons, assumes the
labor to preserve, even in the slightest degree, their memory.
"To write such a history is no easy task. A lawyer moves into a
town or city, and practices his profession there for several years; he is
an able and influential man; he dies; and how long do you suppose it
takes for his name to be utterly forgotten? No person thinks of inquiring into his family history, or his birthplace, or his early education;
and for any one to assume the duty a half a century later, with little data
to aid him, and with few individuals living to whom he can apply for
information is, I can assure you, no easy undertaking.
"I cannot close these remarks without adverting to a few attorneys
who came into Oakland county, between I840 and I845.
"Sanford M. Green was admitted to the bar, and practiced in
Rochester, New York. He came to Michigan, and first located in
Owosso. He was elected to the state senate in I842, and after the first