Arizona Territory
Following the creation of Arizona Territory, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Howell to become a judge for the new territory. His commission as Associate Justice to the Arizona Territorial Supreme Court passed on March 10, 1863. Howell then traveled with Governor John N. Goodwin's party to new territory. Howell was assigned to Arizona's first judicial district, an area encompassing all of Arizona south of the Gila River and east of the 114th meridian west, and left the temporary capital at Fort Whipple for Tucson on February 3, 1864.
Upon his arrival in Tucson, Howell was unhappy to find "two out of every three people in the area were barefooted" in his new district. His first court session began on May 31, 1864 and lasted for six day. A second session was scheduled to begin on last Tuesday in October. To simplify the administration of justice within the new territory, Howell saw the need for a coherent legal code and began the research needed to create one. With the assistance of his friend Coles Bashford, the judge consulted with local residents and explored the laws of several states. After 90 days effort, a 400 page tentative code was ready.
In April 1864, Howell received word his wife was ill. Bashford requested Howell be given three months leave to see to his wife's needs and to look after his seven surviving children. The leave was granted and Howell left Tucson for Michigan on June 11, 1864.
Read more about this topic: William Thompson Howell
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