STEPHEN WHEELER PAPER
M88-10
Stephen Wheeler was born in Hammondsport, Stuben County, New York on February 28, 1839. In 1858 he settled in southern Michigan where he enlisted in the Federal Army September 1, 1861. During the Civil War, Wheeler fought in the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Newtonia, Arkansas, and in Missouri and Louisiana.
After the war, he settled in Powhatan, Arkansas where he was appointed assistant assessor of internal revenue, assessor, and later collector. He edited the White River Journal of DeVall's Bluff until 1869, then resigned to become quarter- master general in the state militia with the rank of brigadier general. In 1872 he was elected state auditor as a Republican, a position he held until May 1874, when he was taken out of office by the adoption of the new constitution.
In April 1875, he moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas where, on May 24, he was appointed clerk of two courts; the United States Criminal Court for the Western District of Arkansas and the Federal Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit. This latter office he held until his death; he continued as clerk of the district court, of "Hanging Judge" Isaac C. Parker, until June 4, 1897.
During the twenty‑two years he served in the circuit court, Wheeler issued 18,877 writs for the arrest of persons charged with nearly every known crime.
On August 20, 1897 Wheeler was in route by train to apply for the position of clerk of the newly established U.S. Court in the Southern District, Indian Territory, at Ardmore, in the Chickasaw Nation. The train stopped briefly at Gainesville, Texas, where Wheeler got off. In his attempt to re-board the train, Wheeler misjudged its speed and fell to his death beneath the wheels.
This collection consists of letters addressed to Wheeler in his capacity as Clerk, U.S. District Court, Fort Smith, Arkansas. Three letters are addressed to a Wheeler successor.
The papers are arranged in one file folder in chronological order.
Tracings
Cities and Towns ‑ Fort Smith
Courts ‑ U.S. District Court, Fort Smith
Garland, A.H. ‑ U.S. Attorney General
Laws and Legislation
Parker, Judge Isaac C.
Wheeler, Stephen
LETTERS
Letter 1 - Attorney General of United States (Garland) To Stephen Wheeler, May 14, 1885.
Letter 2 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) Fort Smith from
Daniel W.Jones, April 29, 1884.
Letter 3 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Doaley
and Altenburg, September 21, 1892.
Letter 4 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Diebald
Safe and Lock Co., September 21, 1892.
Letter 5 - To Clerk of United States Court (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from
W. J. Davis, June 6, 1883.
Letter 6 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from
Sam Davis, July 16, 1878.
Letter 7 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Alfred
Sully and Sam Davis, August 25, 1877.
Letter 8 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from
S. C. Coak, July 16, 1878.
Letter 9 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.
Coak, July 6, 1878.
Letter 10 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.
Coak, June 17, 1878.
Letter 11 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.
Coak, September 1, 1880.
Letter 12 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from H. W.
Coffman, April 27, 1883.
Letter 13 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from H. W.
Coffman, June 6, 1882.
Letter 14 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.
Coak, Decemember 14, 1883.
Letter 15 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.
Coak, July 2, 1880.
Letter 16 - To Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.
Coak, June 14, 1880.
Letter 17 - To Stephen Wheeler from Sam Davis, undated.
Letter 18 - To Stephen Wheeler from Edward J. Cheever, April 5, 1887.
Letter 19 - To Stephen Wheeler from R. S. Chaytor, August 24, 1887.
Letter 20 - To Stephen Wheeler from A. Y. Casey, July 14, 1880.
Letter 21 - To Stephen Wheeler from A. Y. Casey, May 24, 1880.
Letter 22 - To Stephen Wheeler from K. F. Cantrell, September 6, 1879.
Letter 23 - To Stephen Wheeler from K. F. Cantrell, July 27, 1882.
Letter 24 - To Stephen Wheeler from K. F. Cantrell, February 4, 1880.
Letter 25 - To Thomas Bales from Alfred W. Bales, February 11, 1901.
Letter 26 - To Thomas Bales from Jacob Trieber, October 8, 1901.
Letter 27 - To Stephen Wheeler from W. H. Balinger, July 22, 1896.
Letter 28 - To Clerk of United States District Court from G. C. Briford, October 20, 1897.
Letter 29 - To Thomas Wheeler from Mack Rowland, August 1, 1885.
Letter 30 - To Stephen Wheeler from B. C. Brown, May 25, 1880.
Letter 31 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. H. Bohannan, September 1887.
Letter 32 - To Stephen Wheeler from P. K. Roats, August 4, 1881.
Letter 33 - To Stephen Wheeler from John ?, July 2, 1879.
Letter 34 - To Stephen Wheeler from G. W. Berryman, October 7, 1901.
Letter 35 - To Stephen Wheeler from John H. Rogers, March 13, 1890.
Letter 36 - To Stephen Wheeler from John H. Rogers, May 31, 1884.
Letter 37 - To Stephen Wheeler from John H. Rogers, February 7, 1885.
Letter 38 - To Thomas Bales from John Rogers, November 19, 1898.
Letter 39 - To Stephen Wheeler from John Rogers, April 23, 1890.
Letter 40 - To Stephen Wheeler from John Rogers, September 9, 1889.
Letter 41 - To Stephen Wheeler from Thomas J. Shinn, June 26, 1882.
Letter 42 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. W. Thompson, July 29, 1878.
Letter 43 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. B. Forrester, August 15, 1882.
Letter 44 - To Stephen Wheeler from W. S. Flo ?, September 10, 1882.
Letter 45 - To Stephen Wheeler from W. S. Fl ?, July 8, 1881.
Letter 46 - To Stephen Wheeler from W. S. Fl ?, July 27, 1881.
Letter 47 - To Stephen Wheeler from G. D. Goodness, May 9, 1878.
Letter 48 - To Stephen Wheeler from F. M. Grienhau, July 26, 1884.
Letter 49 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. O. Gilleneath, February 3, 1885.
Letter 50 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. B. Fulton, March 1, 1879.
Letter 51 - To Stephen Wheeler from ?, August 1880.
Letter 52 - To Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, July 31, 1880.
Letter 53 - To Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, March 17, 1883.
Letter 54 - To Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, June 18, 1883.
Letter 55 - To Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, May 12, 1884.
Letter 56 - To Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, June 17, 1884.
Letter 57 - To Stephen Wheeler from A. L. Thompson, October 22, 1885.
Letter 58 - To Stephen Wheeler from William L. Taylor, June 10, 1879.
Letter 59 - To Stephen Wheeler from William L. Taylor, June 23, 1879.
Letter 60 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. M. Anderson, March 25, 1884.
Letter 61 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. M. Anderson, June 14, 188?.
Letter 62 - To Stephen Wheeler from George Thornburgh, March 26, 1884.
Letter 63 - To Stephen Wheeler from C. B. Sanders, February 15, 1886.
Letter 64 - To Stephen Wheeler from C. B. Sanders, January 26, 1886.
Letter 65 - To Stephen Wheeler from J. D. Actkinson, June 2, 1883.
Letter 66 - To M. H. Sandels from A. H. Garland, Attorney General, May 27, 1887.
Letter 67 - To Stephen Wheeler from Dan W. Jones, October 3, 1885.
Letter 68 - To Stephen Wheeler from Dan W. Jones, September 19, 1885.
Letter 69 - To Stephen Wheeler from Dan W. Jones, ? 3, 1885.
End of Collection