Orlando Stevens (October 12, 1797 - March 25, 1879) was an attorney and politician whose career included work in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. He is most notable for having served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives,

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

, and

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...

Biography

Orlando Stevens was born in Rutland, Vermont on October 12, 1797, the son of David Stevens and Polly (Crafts) Stevens. Orlando Stevens was raised in

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

, and was educated at the Franklin County Grammar School and Castleton Seminary. He then studied law with Asa Aldis, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1819, and began to practice in Swanton. In 1822, Stevens married Parma Fisk (1805-1854), the daughter of James Fisk. At the time, Fisk was the U.S. Collector of Customs in Swanton, and he appointed Stevens as his deputy. Stevens later moved to East Highgate, where he continued to practice law while becoming involved in the lumber business, followed by relocation to St. Albans, where he established a successful law practice. A Whig, Stevens served as state's attorney of Franklin County from 1839 to 1842. From 1845 to 1846 he served in the Vermont House of Representatives. From 1852 to 1853, Stevens served in the

, and was chosen to serve as the Senate's President pro tempore. After serving in the Vermont Senate, Stevens relocated to

Winona, Minnesota Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, Minnesota, Winona County, in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. Located in bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf (Winona, Minnesota ...

, where he continued to practice law. By now a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, from 1859 to 1860, Stevens was a member of the

. He later suffered a stroke which left him partly paralyzed, and he decided to return to St. Albans, where he lived in retirement.

Death and burial

Stevens died in St. Albans on March 25, 1879, and was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in St. Albans.

Family

The children of Orlando Stevens and Parma Fisk included daughter Parma, who was the wife of

David Olmsted David Olmsted (May 5, 1822 – February 2, 1861) was the fourth mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota and first president of the Minnesota Territorial Council. He was a Democrat. Career He was born in Fairfax, Vermont, and spent many years as a tra ...

, the first mayor of

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Orlando 1797 births 1879 deaths People from St. Albans, Vermont People from Winona, Minnesota Vermont lawyers Minnesota lawyers Vermont Whigs Vermont Republicans Minnesota Republicans State's attorneys in Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont state senators Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives 19th-century American politicians Burials in Vermont 19th-century American lawyers