94 Facts About Isaac Blackford

Isaac Newton Blackford was the second Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, the court's longest serving Justice, and among the longest serving jurists in the history of the United States.

Isaac Blackford wrote an eight-volume work entitled Blackford's Reports recording all the early decisions of the court.

Isaac Blackford was nicknamed the "Indiana Blackstone" because of a comment made by Washington Irving regarding the popularity of Blackford's books.

Isaac Blackford was beset by a number of personal tragedies during the 1820s.

Isaac Blackford began to live a reclusive lifestyle in a one-room apartment in the Indiana Governor's Mansion, where he remained for over twenty years.

Isaac Blackford left for occasional meals, to attend court sessions, and rarely for business and church, but otherwise remained locked away.

Isaac Blackford was reappointed to his seat on the Supreme Court four times, serving until the adoption of the 1851 Constitution of Indiana, which made his position subject to election rather than appointment.

Isaac Blackford was defeated again in the 1853 election to become Supreme Court Reporter, which led him to seek a position on the federal courts after briefly attempting to practice law.

Isaac Blackford was deeply religious, and known in the community for both her faith and patriotic zeal.

Isaac Blackford received a basic education, learning to read and write, in local public schools.

Isaac Blackford's father died on May 22,1800, leaving half his land holdings and savings of $7,220.99 to his mother, and directing that the other half of the estate should be given to Blackford for education and as an inheritance, provided he remained obedient unto her until he reached adulthood.

The family continued to prosper, and when Isaac Blackford finally inherited his portion of his father's estate he received $5,550.

Isaac Blackford was enrolled in Princeton University at age sixteen and graduated at the top of his class in 1806.

Isaac Blackford became fluent in Greek, Latin, and French and excelled in history and mathematics.

Isaac Blackford spent a considerable amount of time reading legal books on English common law, especially the works of William Blackstone.

Isaac Blackford boarded at Ford's home in the same room used by Washington during the war, and this was a memory he recalled fondly throughout his life.

Isaac Blackford's connections brought him into contact with prominent figures during his early life.

Isaac Blackford met George Washington at age 10, and James Madison and Phillip Freneau while attending Princeton.

Isaac Blackford completed his studies in 1810 and was admitted to the bar in New Jersey in November of that year.

Isaac Blackford took only one case of his own and realized he needed to join a law firm if he was going to be able to earn a living at his profession.

Isaac Blackford returned to his hometown and began practicing law as a member of MacDonald's firm.

Isaac Blackford had a potentially prosperous life in the east, as Ford was considering becoming a federal judge and allowing Blackford to inherit his practice.

Isaac Blackford lived only briefly in Dayton and continued further west, moving into the Indiana Territory and first living in Brookville.

Isaac Blackford carried with him a letter of introduction to territorial Judge Isaac Dunn, a friend of George MacDonald.

Brookville was the administrative center of the eastern half of the territory, but Isaac Blackford had little chance of making a substantial income as a lawyer there, so he sought work in the civil service.

Isaac Blackford frequently moved from town to town in Indiana during his first years in the territory.

Isaac Blackford briefly traveled to Corydon in 1811 or 1812, but found no employment.

Isaac Blackford next moved to Vevay, Indiana where he took a job as cashier at a branch of the territorial Bank of Vincennes.

Isaac Blackford was reelected to the position again in August 1814.

Posey appointed Isaac Blackford to succeed Parke as judge in the 1st Circuit Territorial Court.

Isaac Blackford resigned his position as clerk and accepted Posey's appointment.

Isaac Blackford made six circuit trips during his tenure and tried forty-nine cases, and dismissed a number of others.

Isaac Blackford renewed his license to practice law in the newly formed state, and became the first lawyer appointed to the bar in the State of Indiana.

Isaac Blackford had moved to Vincennes during his term as judge to live centrally within his district.

On September 10,1817, Isaac Blackford was appointed Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court by Governor Jonathan Jennings to replace Chief Justice John Johnson.

Jennings and Isaac Blackford were the only two members of the government who came from New Jersey, increasing Jennings' sentimental desire to see Isaac Blackford appointed.

Isaac Blackford quickly earned a reputation for being fair and impartial and is regarded as one of the most influential and pivotal members in the court's history.

Isaac Blackford petitioned to have a chamber made available in the Indiana Governor's Mansion which was at that time being used for office space.

Isaac Blackford oversaw a fourth move to the new Indiana Statehouse in 1839.

In Deming v Bullit Blackford ruled that parties could cancel contracts of sale even after payment was made, provided they refunded the fees.

George MacDonald, under whom Isaac Blackford had studied law, left his law practice in the east and moved to the Indiana in 1818.

Isaac Blackford began courting his daughter Caroline, who was fourteen years younger than himself.

Caroline wished to entertain and enjoyed the high society that Isaac Blackford's position brought, while Isaac Blackford preferred to live reclusively.

Isaac Blackford wrote to his mother of his unhappiness in marriage, and, after his wife's death, he vowed to never marry again.

Isaac Blackford's son became ill, probably with malaria, the date and details of the sickness are unknown.

Isaac Blackford took him to Lexington, Kentucky for medical treatment, but he died only a short time later.

Isaac Blackford lay on the floor and wept till morning.

Isaac Blackford then locked himself away for two weeks in a room in Coburn's home, never speaking and only coming out to receive a meal.

Isaac Blackford continued to keep his residence in Vincennes until 1830.

Isaac Blackford left Vincennes and moved into his room in the mansion.

Isaac Blackford hired a servant, William Franklin, who was the child of emancipated slaves, to bring him meals and clean his room.

Isaac Blackford shut himself away for six months and even stopped attending court sessions.

Isaac Blackford obtained a lock of her hair and carried it with him for the remainder of his life.

Isaac Blackford was able to catch himself on an island, but was unable to escape it.

Isaac Blackford remained there for two days without food before he was discovered by a farmer and was rescued.

Isaac Blackford was taken to his apartment where he was nursed by Franklin until his health recovered.

Isaac Blackford's salary began at $600 annually, and the constitution prevented it from decreasing during his term.

Isaac Blackford invested some of his savings in land speculation around the state and made a large profit from his initial investment.

Isaac Blackford used the earnings to buy three city blocks in Indianapolis shortly after the city was platted in 1824.

Isaac Blackford began maintaining a personal collection of the Supreme Court decisions in hopes the Indiana General Assembly would eventually authorize funds to create an official report.

Isaac Blackford used his own savings to have the books published with the intention of selling them to lawyers in Indiana.

Isaac Blackford's Reports were thorough and detailed thanks to Isaac Blackford's effort to keep them accurate.

Isaac Blackford responded with the spelling and lawyer again questioned him if he was certain that word was not spelled "jennie".

Not wanting to be hasty and enter an incorrectly spelled word onto the record, Isaac Blackford delayed the decision for two days while experts were consulted as to the proper spelling.

Isaac Blackford published the first of his eight volumes of Isaac Blackford's Reports in 1830, covering court cases between 1816 and 1826.

Isaac Blackford's reports were noted by readers for their concision, accuracy, and diction.

Isaac Blackford reported that Blackford's Reports were well known in Westminster and regularly used by the judiciary, and Irving compared him to William Blackstone.

Isaac Blackford's reports remain a regularly used tool in cases where common law is still applied.

Isaac Blackford was a trustee for Indiana College from 1838 to 1841.

In 1825 Isaac Blackford was nominated, without his knowledge, as the Whig candidate for governor of Indiana.

Isaac Blackford lost in the Indiana General Assembly by one vote and was defeated by former governor William Hendricks.

Isaac Blackford never sought political office while he was on the court, but his political opinions were not concealed.

Isaac Blackford was opposed to the election of William Henry Harrison as president, who had been governor of the Indiana territory when he had first moved; his opposition stemmed from his experience with his style of governing and support of slavery.

Isaac Blackford was reappointed again in 1833 by Governor Noah Noble and in 1840 by Samuel Bigger who were both of same party as Isaac Blackford.

Isaac Blackford nominated four different replacements for Blackford but the Indiana Senate refused to confirm them, forcing Whitcomb to give in and reappoint Blackford.

In both 1826 and 1847, Isaac Blackford was the only member of the court to be reappointed, based largely on his popularity and the fame of his reports.

Isaac Blackford continued serving on the Supreme Court until the new state Constitution of 1851 made the position of justice an elected office.

Isaac Blackford sought the nomination at the Whig convention to run to keep his seat, but his lack of political experience led to his defeat.

Isaac Blackford still desired to be associated with the court so he could write the court reports.

Isaac Blackford was successfully nominated to run for the position of court reporter on the Whig ticket in 1853, but was defeated in the election by future Vice President of the United States Thomas Hendricks.

Isaac Blackford opened a law office and took on one case which he argued before Judge David Wallace.

Isaac Blackford stumbled in making his arguments as he was unaccustomed to speaking publicly and he lost the case.

Isaac Blackford found the change of position embarrassing and was occasionally offended by the public and the court system for not showing him what he considered due respect.

Isaac Blackford had already become nationally renowned for his reports, and his availability to become a federal judge was reported to President Franklin Pierce.

Isaac Blackford was nominated by President Pierce, who remarked that there was no better qualified candidate in the nation, on March 3,1855, to the Court of Claims, to a new seat authorized by 10 Stat.

Isaac Blackford was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 3,1855, and received his commission the same day.

Isaac Blackford served as Presiding Judge from 1858 to 1859.

Isaac Blackford's service terminated on December 31,1859, due to his death in Washington, DC.

Isaac Blackford's remains were returned to Indiana where he lay in state in the chambers of the Indiana Senate in Indianapolis, and the Indiana General Assembly passed resolutions honoring and celebrating his contributions to Indiana.

Isaac Blackford's bier was attended by thousands of citizens and numerous dignitaries.

Isaac Blackford was buried in Greenwood Cemetery on the edge of Indianapolis.

In 1915 a large oil painting of Isaac Blackford was donated to the Indiana Supreme Court, but was lost during a refurbishing of the Supreme Court offices.

Isaac Blackford's reports remained in popular use many years after his death.

Supreme Court librarian, circuit court judge, and historian William Wheeler Thornton states that after Isaac Blackford left the Indiana Supreme Court, and once the position was made elective, the prestige of the court that had been built up by Isaac Blackford was gradually lost as it became more political and less judicial.