STEPHEN C. DOWNEY

STEPHEN C. DOWNEY
Stephen C. Downey is an able attorney practicing at the Laramie bar and is a representative of one of Wyoming’s prominent families. Without displaying those characteristics which are termed genius he is known as the possessor of the more dependable qualities of stability, perseverance, indefatigable energy and keen sagacity and sound judgment. Upon these he has builded his success in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit. He was born in Laramie, August 29, 1873, and is a son of Stephen and Eva V. (Owen) Downey. The father was a native of Piedmont, West Virginia, while the mother was born in England. Stephen Downey studied law in the office of Governor Thomas at Cumberland, Maryland, and at the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted for active service in the Union army under General Lew Wallace of Indiana and organized a company of the Home Brigade. He rose to the rank of Colonel before the battle of Antietam. He was wounded and captured at Harper’s Ferry, after which he was paroled and was sent to Washington, D. C., where he finished his law course as a student in the Georgetown University. The great west with its limitless opportunities attracted him and in the fall of 1869 he made his way to Laramie, where he opened an office and entered upon the practice of his profession. Only the year before had the railroad been extended to this city and he became one of the earliest lawyers of Laramie and the first county attorney of Albany county. With many interests of public concern he was identified. He was made territorial county auditor, was also treasurer and filled other positions of public trust. He was a member of the board of school district No. 1 and he was sent to represent his county in the second territorial council. He served as a member of the territorial legislature and was speaker of the house. He was afterward sent as a delegate to congress, where he represented the territory for one term. He was again elected to the legislature and was once more speaker in the year 1890. He served in the general assembly from 1893 until 1895 and he became a member of the constitutional convention which framed the organic law of Wyoming. In 1897 he was again elected county attorney of Albany county and served in that position for two terms or up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 14th of August, 1902, when he was sixty-three years of age. He left the impress of his individuality in marked degree upon the development of the state, especially in the framing of its laws and the drafting of its constitution. He ranked with the most prominent and honored men of Wyoming and his record was characterized by the most faithful performance of duty and by the utmost loyalty to every trust committed to his care. His wife, who was born in England, came to America in early girlhood. She crossed the plains in 1854 to become a resident of Pleasant Grove, Utah, where she remained until 1858 and then went to Idaho, living in Boise during the mining excitement there. She continued in Boise for several years and then returned to Salt Lake City, after which she came to Laramie, arriving on the 10th of June, 1868. Here she still makes her home and is today one of the honored pioneer women of the state. Mr. Downey, during the period of his residence in Wyoming, made judicious investments in property, becoming largely interested in ranch property and also holding stock in many mining projects. He was thus able to leave his family in comfortable financial circumstances and it was ever one of his chief objects to provide liberally for them and to give them such opportunities as would promote their happiness and make their careers of worth to the world. To the parents of Stephen C. Downey were born the following children: Mrs. B. L. Smith, who is living in Long Beach, California; Stephen C., of this review; Professor J. E. Downey, who is occupying the chair of psychology in the University of Wyoming; Norma, living in Laramie; Mrs. Lillie G. Fitch, of Laramie; Owen D., who is located in Holmes, Wyoming; Sheridan, who is a resident of Sacramento, California; Stephen W., who is a first lieutenant in the United States army; Mrs. Evangeline Teetor, living in Cambridge, Ohio; Mrs. Alice Nelson, living in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Dorothy D., who is a senior in the University of Wyoming and is the youngest of the family. Stephen C. Downey, whose name introduces this record, was a pupil in the public schools of Laramie until he mastered the branches of learning therein taught and then entered the University of Wyoming, from which he was graduated with the class of 1895. Having prepared for the bar, he began the practice of law in 1898 in association with his father, with whom he was thus connected until the latter’s death. He was serving as deputy county attorney at the time of his father’s death and filled out his term as county attorney. He was then elected to the office and the excellent record which he made in that position led to his reelection for a second term. He has also been a member of the city council for two terms and exercised his official prerogatives in support of various plans and measures for the general good. He is an able lawyer, careful in the preparation of his cases, concise in his appeals before the court, strong in argument and logical in his deductions. He is accorded a clientage that connects him with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of his district and the volume of his law business is constantly increasing. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Sons of Veterans, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Episcopal church. His record reflects credit and honor upon a name that has figured most creditably in connection with the history of Wyoming for almost a half century. Not only was his father prominent in shaping the annals of the state, but his grandfather, Owen Dorsey Downey, also came to Laramie with his son. He had served in the constitutional convention of Virginia, was a member of the legislature of the Old Dominion, also of West Virginia and of Wyoming, and passed away in Laramie in October, 1894, at the age of eighty-three years. He belonged to one of the old families of Pennsylvania and he bore his name with honor in the various states in which he resided. Mrs. Eva V. Downey, mother of Stephen C. Downey, is the only living member of the party who crossed the trail on what is now the Lincoln, highway at Laramie and her reminiscences concerning the early days are most interesting, for she is able to speak with authority upon many events which have left their impress upon the records of the state. The Downey family is indeed a prominent one in Wyoming and their history is inseparably interwoven with all that has had to do with material, intellectual, social, political and moral progress.

Stephen C. Downey is an able attorney practicing at the Laramie bar and is a representative of one of Wyoming’s prominent families. Without displaying those characteristics which are termed genius he is known as the possessor of the more dependable qualities of stability, perseverance, indefatigable energy and keen sagacity and sound judgment. Upon these he has builded his success in a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit. He was born in Laramie, August 29, 1873, and is a son of Stephen and Eva V. (Owen) Downey. The father was a native of Piedmont, West Virginia, while the mother was born in England. Stephen Downey studied law in the office of Governor Thomas at Cumberland, Maryland, and at the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted for active service in the Union army under General Lew Wallace of Indiana and organized a company of the Home Brigade. He rose to the rank of Colonel before the battle of Antietam. He was wounded and captured at Harper’s Ferry, after which he was paroled and was sent to Washington, D. C., where he finished his law course as a student in the Georgetown University. The great west with its limitless opportunities attracted him and in the fall of 1869 he made his way to Laramie, where he opened an office and entered upon the practice of his profession. Only the year before had the railroad been extended to this city and he became one of the earliest lawyers of Laramie and the first county attorney of Albany county. With many interests of public concern he was identified. He was made territorial county auditor, was also treasurer and filled other positions of public trust. He was a member of the board of school district No. 1 and he was sent to represent his county in the second territorial council. He served as a member of the territorial legislature and was speaker of the house. He was afterward sent as a delegate to congress, where he represented the territory for one term. He was again elected to the legislature and was once more speaker in the year 1890. He served in the general assembly from 1893 until 1895 and he became a member of the constitutional convention which framed the organic law of Wyoming. In 1897 he was again elected county attorney of Albany county and served in that position for two terms or up to the time of his death, which occurred on the 14th of August, 1902, when he was sixty-three years of age. He left the impress of his individuality in marked degree upon the development of the state, especially in the framing of its laws and the drafting of its constitution. He ranked with the most prominent and honored men of Wyoming and his record was characterized by the most faithful performance of duty and by the utmost loyalty to every trust committed to his care. His wife, who was born in England, came to America in early girlhood. She crossed the plains in 1854 to become a resident of Pleasant Grove, Utah, where she remained until 1858 and then went to Idaho, living in Boise during the mining excitement there. She continued in Boise for several years and then returned to Salt Lake City, after which she came to Laramie, arriving on the 10th of June, 1868. Here she still makes her home and is today one of the honored pioneer women of the state. Mr. Downey, during the period of his residence in Wyoming, made judicious investments in property, becoming largely interested in ranch property and also holding stock in many mining projects. He was thus able to leave his family in comfortable financial circumstances and it was ever one of his chief objects to provide liberally for them and to give them such opportunities as would promote their happiness and make their careers of worth to the world. To the parents of Stephen C. Downey were born the following children: Mrs. B. L. Smith, who is living in Long Beach, California; Stephen C., of this review; Professor J. E. Downey, who is occupying the chair of psychology in the University of Wyoming; Norma, living in Laramie; Mrs. Lillie G. Fitch, of Laramie; Owen D., who is located in Holmes, Wyoming; Sheridan, who is a resident of Sacramento, California; Stephen W., who is a first lieutenant in the United States army; Mrs. Evangeline Teetor, living in Cambridge, Ohio; Mrs. Alice Nelson, living in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Dorothy D., who is a senior in the University of Wyoming and is the youngest of the family.
Stephen C. Downey, whose name introduces this record, was a pupil in the public schools of Laramie until he mastered the branches of learning therein taught and then entered the University of Wyoming, from which he was graduated with the class of 1895. Having prepared for the bar, he began the practice of law in 1898 in association with his father, with whom he was thus connected until the latter’s death. He was serving as deputy county attorney at the time of his father’s death and filled out his term as county attorney. He was then elected to the office and the excellent record which he made in that position led to his reelection for a second term. He has also been a member of the city council for two terms and exercised his official prerogatives in support of various plans and measures for the general good. He is an able lawyer, careful in the preparation of his cases, concise in his appeals before the court, strong in argument and logical in his deductions. He is accorded a clientage that connects him with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of his district and the volume of his law business is constantly increasing. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Sons of Veterans, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Episcopal church. His record reflects credit and honor upon a name that has figured most creditably in connection with the history of Wyoming for almost a half century. Not only was his father prominent in shaping the annals of the state, but his grandfather, Owen Dorsey Downey, also came to Laramie with his son. He had served in the constitutional convention of Virginia, was a member of the legislature of the Old Dominion, also of West Virginia and of Wyoming, and passed away in Laramie in October, 1894, at the age of eighty-three years. He belonged to one of the old families of Pennsylvania and he bore his name with honor in the various states in which he resided. Mrs. Eva V. Downey, mother of Stephen C. Downey, is the only living member of the party who crossed the trail on what is now the Lincoln, highway at Laramie and her reminiscences concerning the early days are most interesting, for she is able to speak with authority upon many events which have left their impress upon the records of the state. The Downey family is indeed a prominent one in Wyoming and their history is inseparably interwoven with all that has had to do with material, intellectual, social, political and moral progress.