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- He was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, November 26th, 1826. Of Scotch-Irish Presbyterian parentage, his parents emigrated from the north of Ireland in 1825, arriving with but slender means at Ogdensburg, New York, on the 4th day of July. In February, 1834, they removed to the then distant West; arriving in March, after a journey of more than thirty days, with a single span of horses, at North Ridgeville, Lorain county, where they purchased a small tract of wild land, and began the struggle incident to all the early settlers on the Reserve. In the fall of 1846 Stevenson Burke, the subject of this sketch, attended the Ohio Wesleyan University, he for a short time, in Delaware County, and about this time he began the study of law with Messrs. Powell & Buck, of that place. He returned to Elyria in 1847, and completed the preparatory study of law with the Hon. H. D. Clark, and was duly admitted to practice August 11th, 1848. He entered immediately upon the duties of his profession. Pn 1849, Mr. Clark gave him the full benefit of his own high position and prestige by taking him into partnership. This partnership continued some three years, till Mr. Clark removed his residence from Elyria. Mr. Burke subsequently continued in business alone, until February, 1862, when he took his seat on the common pleas bench, having been almost unanimously elected a judge of that court in October, 1861. In October, 1866, he was reelected common pleas judge without opposition, and held the office two years, resigning in January, 1869, and at once entered upon the practice of law in Cleveland, in partnership with the Hon. F. T. Backus and E. J. Estep, Esq. This partnership continued till the death of Mr. Backus, in May, 1870. The firm was now changed to Burke & Estep, which continued till 1875, and afterward he practiced alone. It is believed that for several years after his return to the bar he argued more cases in the Supreme Court than any other lawyer in the State. He was often called in to assist in the more important cases in many of the counties of northern Ohio. In 1878 he was retained in the great case or series of cases in "Utah, concerning the Nez Perces and Old Telegraph Mining Companies. In addition to his regular and general practice he devoted some time to railway business. He was for many years the general counsel of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway Company. He was also for many years the general counsel of the Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railway Company. He also for several years represented as attorney, the owners of three-fourths of the stock of the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad Company, and of the Mercer Mining and Manufacturing Company. He was also a director in the Cincinnati and Springfield Railroad Company. He was president of the Snow Fork and Cleveland Coal Company. He was also a director of the Lake Shore Foundry Company, of Cleveland. He was, moreover, connected with many other business enterprises in one way or another. Among his students were the Hon. George B. Lake, chief justice of Nebraska; General Sheldon, ex-member of Congress of New Orleans; the Hon. E. F. Poppleton, ex-member of Congress of Delaware, Ohio, and his brother, H. H. Poppleton, general attorney of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway Company. He married April 26th, 1849, Miss Parthenia Poppleton, a daughter of the Rev. Samuel Poppleton, then of Bellville, Richland county, Ohio. She died at Salt Lake City, Utah, January 7th, 1878.
Stevenson Burke was a judge, lawyer, and abolitionist. He was very well known in the history of Cleveland, Ohio.
Married on April 28, 1849 to Parthenia Poppleton (78100064 ), the daughter of the Rev. Samuel Poppleton of Richland County, OH
Married on June 22, 1882 to Mrs Ella M. Southworth (nee Beebe) of Clinton, NY, daughter of Henry C. Beebe
Stevenson Burke, of Cleveland, Ohio, died at the Shoreham Hotel in this city to-day from the effects of a paralytic stroke suffered nearly twenty-four hours previously.
He remained unconscious from the time he was stricken until death. The body was taken to Cleveland at 7:45 this evening and will arrive in that city at 11:30 Monday
Monday April 25, 1904 -
The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky ยท Page 5
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1826 - 1904 (77 years)
