Wilkinson, Ira O.
HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS
& HISTORY OF
MORGAN COUNTY
Munsell Publishing Company, Publishers,
1906.
WILKINSON, (HON.) IRA O.,
(deceased), lawyer and jurist, was born in Virginia in 1822, the son of Otway
Wilkinson, for many years a prominent merchant of Jacksonville. In 1835 he
became, with his parents, a resident of Jacksonville, Ill., where he was
educated and studied law with Judge William Thomas. On being admitted to the bar
he formed a co-partnership with Hon. Richard Yates, Sr., which was relinquished
on his removal to Rock Island in 1845. There he built up an extensive and
successful practice and in 1855 was elected and served two terms os Judge of the
Sixth Judicial District, in which position he obtained an enviable record, and
gave very general satisfaction. In 1867, he removed to Chicago, and became the
senior partner of Wilkinson, Sackett & Bean. He was appointed by the
Editorial Convention at Decatur on the 22d of February, 1856, a member of the
State Central Committee which called the first Republican State Convention held
at Bloomington in May following.
Judge Wilkinson was unassuming in his manners, dignified and courteous in his
deportment, and, without the circle of his intimate friends, somewhat inclined
to reticence. He had a vigorous and well balanced mind, trained and developed by
liberal professional and general culture. He possessed undoubted integrity, and
in his practice united the probity and fairness of the Judge with the acumen and
fidelity of the lawyer. He was thoroughly familiar with the general principles
of the law, and in argument he reasoned from his own premises, deduced his own
conclusions, and used cases only so far as they illustrated principles. He was a
counselor rather than an advocate, and, as such, was a very safe adviser.
1906 Index
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