William Ross Wagstaff

JUDGE WILLIAM R. WAGSTAFF, Judge of the tenth Judicial District of Kansas. The subject of this sketch was born in Allegheny County, Pa., July 18, 1823, son of James and Eva (Ross) Wagstaff. His forefathers were soldiers of the Revolutionary War and of the War of 1812. He went with his parents to Southeastern Ohio, received his primary education in the common schools and subsequently took a four-years course in the Muskingum College, New Concord, Pa. He studied law at Cambridge, Ohio, in the office of Rennon & White, and was admitted to practice in 1849 at Wooster, Wayne County, at a session of the supreme court of Ohio. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession as a full partner of his former preceptor, Mr. J. M. White. He continued this connection one year, when he purchased the Guernsey Jeffersonian a Democratic paper, which he conducted with marked success, two years. He then sold out and re-sumed the practice of his profession in company with Mr. Mathew Gaston at Cambridge. He continued this connection until 1857, when he sold out and immigrated to Kansas, then a sparsely settled territory whole people were agitated and turbulent over the question of the extension or non-extension of slavery into the Territories. He arrived here in January, 1857, and spent the first year in travel throughout the Territory. He located near Paola in the spring of 1858, where he started a saw-mill and purchased considerable property. He opened a law office in Paola and entered upon the practice of his profession. He was appointed General Agent for the town site of Paola. He formed a law partnership with Mr. B. F. Simpson, which continued until 1861, and was then dissolved by Mr. Simpson entering the army. He was elected, on the Democratic ticket in 1859, a member of the Territorial Legislature, representing the counties of Linn and Miami, defeating the celebrated James Montgomery for that office., although the balance of the Democratic tickets was defeated by about 880 votes. He served on important committees, and took a prominent part in the business of the session. He was re-elected in 1861, without opposition, to represent Linn, Miami and Bourbon counties. He was one of the Board of Managers on the impeachment of State officers, and made the opening argument on the final trial of the Secretary of State. In 1862, he was a candidate for Governor on the anti-Lane ticket, but was defeated by Thomas Carney, the Republican nominee. He has been chosen, at different times, the Democratic candidate for Associate Judge, and for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. During the war, he was Aid-de-Camp on the staff of Gov. Robinson, and under his authority organized a force in defense of Kansas, and served from the beginning til the winter of 1864. He was one of the original corporators of the Mo. R., Ft. S. & G. R. R. and for five years was a prominent director of its management; during the two years its regular attorney. In 1881, he was elected Judge of the Tenth Judicial District, defeating Judge Stevens, the regular Republican nominee and is the first Democrat elected a Judge of the District Courts of Kansas. Garfield's majority in the district was 7,000. Judge Wagstaff carried it by 112, having a name endorsement in Miami County of 700. He is a Mason of forty years standing. Has been master of Paola Lodge No. 37 ten years and is a R. A. M.

From William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas published in 1883 by A. T. Andreas, Chicago, IL.