Viewing William Mitchell: "Reminiscences of the Establishment of the Territorial Courts, Judges, Justices and Members of the Bar of Winona County" (1889).

William Mitchell: "Reminiscences of the Establishment of the Territorial Courts, Judges, Justices and Members of the Bar of Winona County" (1889).

On August 30, 1889, an address written by Associate Justice William Mitchell was read to the Winona County Old Settlers' Association by his former law partner, William H. Yale. The subjects of Mitchell's paper were the judges and lawyers of the county during the territorial period, 1849 to 1858.

It is one of the few times when we can read his writings on something other than a court case.

It is obvious that he wrote this address with nearly the same care he devoted to an opinion for his court. He researched the early court records of Winona County. His description of the formation of the state, the county and the courts does not add much to what has been written by others. His paper is valuable for its deft, penetrating sketches of lawyers and judges in the county's formative era. They show him to be a shrewd judge of character.

Mitchell's address was published in the afternoon edition of the "Winona Daily Republican" on August 30th, and eight years later in a county history written by LaFayette H. Bunnell.

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