Elijah Carson Hart

Elijah Carson (E.C.) Hart. served as City Attorney of Sacramento, California from 1886 to 1887 and from 1890 to 1893. He was born in Nevada in a covered wagon while his parents were crossing the plains to California. His middle name was Carson because he was born on the banks of the Carson River. He had little formal education and started to work at the age of twelve as an assistant to a printer in the city of Colusa. He later became a newspaper reporter, editor and publisher in Oroville. At the age of 30, in 1884, he commenced the study of law. He was admitted to practice in 1885 and was elected City Attorney of Sacramento the following year. He served in the State Assembly in 1888 and 1889. He was re-elected City Attorney in 1890 and served until April 1893 when he resigned to enter the State Senate. He was later elected Superior Court Judge of Sacramento County and served in that capacity from 1897 to 1907. Thereafter, he was elected and served as Associate Justice of the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento for 22 years until his death in 1929. He was considered the dean of the State’s Supreme and Appellate Court benches. His wife of more than 50 years was a niece of Kit Carson.