WILSON, Thomas S.

WILSON, Thomas S. (Steubenville, OH, Oct. 13, 1813-Dubuque, IA, May 16, 1894). Judge. One of the original judges of the Territory of Iowa, Wilson was said to have never had ten of his decisions reversed on appeal. He held the first court in Iowa Territory in November 1838, at Prairie La Porte, near Guttenburg. The same year he was elected president of the board of trustees of the town of Dubuque. He was on his way to accept a position as a delegate to Congress when he learned President Van Buren had appointed him judge of the Supreme Court of Iowa.

In October 1847, Wilson resigned from the bench and entered into private law practice with Platt SMITH, a man with whom the judge had financed the construction of the Globe Building in downtown Dubuque. In 1883 the two attorneys successfully argued the landmark case of CHOUTEAU VS. MOLONY before the United States Supreme Court. The same year Wilson presented the case of FANNING VS. GREGOIRE AND BOGY before the Supreme Court.

When the first legislature of the state convened, Wilson came within one vote of being elected a United States Senator. In April 1852, Wilson was elected a district court judge and held the first courts in the counties of Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Clinton, Fayette, Jones, and Winneshiek. In 1866 and 1868 Wilson served in the Iowa legislature. He also held the office of U.S. district attorney for several years and was legal counsel at different times for both the city and county of Dubuque.