Thomas Stilwell Stanfield (October 17, 1816 – September 12, 1885) was a politician and judge from Indiana. He served in the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

in 1844, 1851 and 1858.

Early life

Thomas Stilwell Stanfield was born on October 17, 1816, in

Logan County, Ohio Logan County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,150. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans ...

, to William Stanfield. In 1830, Stanfield and his family moved. They lived in Young's Prairie, Michigan in the winter of 1830. They moved to Harris Prairie in

St. Joseph County, Indiana St. Joseph County, commonly called St. Joe County by residents, is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 272,912, making it the fifth-most populous county in Indiana. Formed in 1830, it was n ...

, and then to

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

, in the spring of 1831. He attended school in South Bend and his teacher was Elisha Egbert. Stanfield worked at a saw mill on the bank of Wenger's Creek and then worked with his father brick making in northern South Bend. He worked as a clerk in the general store of L. M. Taylor. He then studied law in the office of Samuel C. Sample. In 1839-1840, Stanfield attended law school in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

Career

Stanfield was a Whig and then later became 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 ...

. In 1844, Stanfield served in the

. In 1849, Stanfield was nominated as the Whig candidate for lieutenant governor of Indiana, but lost to James H. Lane. In 1851, Stanfield was elected again to the Indiana House of Representatives, defeating John Brownfield. In 1852, Stanfield was elected as judge of the circuit court. In 1858, Stanfield was elected again to the Indiana House of Representatives, defeating Sheriff S. L. Cottrell. In 1870, Stanfield was elected as judge again, defeating Judge Bradley. In 1873, Stanfield lost the election as judge to Judge Noyes. Stanfield served several terms in the South Bend City Council. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Stanfield helped organize troops and served as an adviser to Governor

Oliver P. Morton Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877), commonly known as Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Indiana. He served as the 14th governor (the first native-born) of Indiana during the Amer ...

. He was in charge of determining all available men for military service in St. Joseph County and took charge of Camp Rose in South Bend. He was offered the commission of colonel, but declined. Stanfield was president and later director and attorney for the Grand Trunk Railroad Company. He helped purchase the right of way of the

Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, established in 1833 and sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, primarily along the ...

from White Pigeon, Michigan, to Laporte, Indiana. He also served as the director for some years. Stanfield also worked for the

Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in ...

and served as its director and attorney.

Personal life

Stanfield was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

. He was a friend of

Edward Sorin Edward Frederick Sorin (French: Édouard Sorin), C.S.C. (February 6, 1814October 31, 1893) was a French-born priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the founder of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and of St. Edward's University in Au ...

and James Oliver. Stanfield married and his wife died in 1896. He had two sons and two daughters, including Edward P., Howard S. and Mrs. M. B. Staley. Stanfield died on September 12, 1885, at his home at the corner of Washington and Lafayette Streets in South Bend. He was buried at

South Bend City Cemetery The South Bend City Cemetery is a historic cemetery in South Bend, Indiana. History The South Bend City Cemetery was established in 1831, when Lathrop Taylor and Alexis Coquillard donated the land upon which it was built. Jacob Roof was the firs ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanfield, Thomas S. 1816 births 1885 deaths People from Logan County, Ohio Politicians from South Bend, Indiana Presbyterians from Indiana American railroad executives Indiana lawyers Indiana Whigs Indiana Republicans