Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Lewis, Andrew T. November 10, 1848 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 19, 2009, 11:17 am Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company ANDREW T. LEWIS. One of the oldest members of the Multnomah county bar, as well as one of the longest in continuous practice, is Andrew T. Lewis, of Portland, who has been identified with the legal profession for fifty-three years and has long commanded a large practice in this city, where he enjoys the unqualified confidence and respect of the entire community. Mr. Lewis was born in Franklin, Johnson county, Indiana, on the 10th of November, 1848, and is a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Clark) Lewis, the former born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1800, and the latter in North Carolina in 1803. The father followed the occupation of farming. In the family were nine children, of whom Andrew T. is the youngest and the only one living. In 1856 the family removed to Illinois, and after attending the public schools and the State Normal University, at Normal, Illinois, Andrew T. Lewis took up the study of law in Urbana and Champaign, Illinois, in the office of two of the leading attorneys of the twin cities. He next entered the law school of the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated in 1875, after which he returned to Urbana, where he engaged in the practice of his profession until 1884. In the meantime he spent a short time in Deadwood, Dakota; Colorado and Montana, but did not practice law there. He was elected city attorney and judge of the municipal court at Urbana, but did not accept the judgeship in order to secure the appointment of a friend to that position. In April, 1884, he was given credit for securing the nomination, at the republican convention, of Joseph Cannon, who offered him an appointment in the government service but he declined at the time of the offer. In 1879 Mr. Lewis established the Champaign County Herald, which he owned and edited for a year and a half, practicing law at the same time, but, finding that he could not give either business the attention it required, he sold the paper, which had prospered under his management. In July, 1884, at the request of Mr. Cannon, President Arthur appointed Mr. Lewis clerk of the United States district court of Alaska under the Organic Act ex-officio secretary, treasurer and receiver of public moneys as well as one of the Indian Commissioners at Sitka and the Commission appointed him judge of the court trying cases between Indian and Indian. Mr. Lewis accepted the appointment and rendered able and efficient service in that territory for about three years. He called the first jury in Alaska and swore in the first jury in the district. Among his official associates were John H. Kincaid, former governor of Nevada and the first governor of Alaska; Ward McAlister, Jr., United States district judge; M. C. Hillier, United States Marshal, and Edward W. Hasket, United States district attorney, all of whom he has outlived. Mr. Lewis was the only republican officeholder in that territory who was not removed on the change of administration in March, 1885, serving with two democratic judges, Edward J. Dawn and La Fayette Dawson. In 1887 Mr. Lewis left Alaska and went to Santa Monica, Los Angeles county, California, where he resided for fourteen months and in September, 1888, came to Portland, where he has been actively engaged in general practice to the present time. A man of wide learning, long experience and dependable judgment, his record at the bar has been a worthy one, for he has met with uniform success in practice and has commanded the respect of is colleagues, many of whom have sought his counsel in intricate questions of jurisprudence. In 1885, at Sitka, Alaska, Mr. Lewis was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Dauphin, who was serving there as a Presbyterian missionary. To them have been born three children. Arthur H., who was graduated from the law school of the University of Oregon and is now associated in practice with his father, is married and has two children. Elizabeth P., a graduate of the University of Oregon, is the wife of J. H. Scott, highway engineer for the state of Oregon, and they have two sons, Frank M., who is assistant electrical engineer with the Northwestern Electric Company, is married and lives at Oswego. He is a graduate of the University of Washington as an Electrical Engineer and served with the United States army in France. Mr. Lewis has been a lifelong supporter of the republican party and was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias at Urbana, Illinois, but is not now a member of any lodge. He was honored by being selected to make the address on the life of Meriwether Lewis at the Lewis and Clark Exposition on Lewis Day and in other ways his fellowmen have from time to time expressed their appreciation of his ability, attainments and character. Though almost four score years of age, he retains his bodily and mental vigor and is actively interested in everything pertaining to the welfare and prosperity of the city which he has honored by his citizenship. Additional Comments: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Pages 737-738 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/lewis681gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb