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Impacts
The First Female Judge
This statue of Esther Hobart Morris was given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by Wyoming in 1960. Architect of the Capital
The First Justice of Peace
On February 17, 1870, when she was 56 years old, Esther Hobart Morris became the first female judge in the United States and the only woman in a position of power at the time. She changed a frontier in politics when she successfully became the first female Justice of Peace for the South Pass District, which covered every type of case, from assault to dept disputes.
Her first case was Wyoming v. Stillman, which was the prosecution of the former Justice of Peace, who refused to turn over the court docket to her since she was a woman. Although she only served nine months as a Judge, she tried 28 cases, which included ten assault cases.
In 1890, when Wyoming gained statehood, she was given the honor to present the state flag. She spoke at the celebration saying, “On behalf of the women of Wyoming, and in grateful recognition of the high privilege of citizenship that has been conferred upon us, I have the honor to present to the state of Wyoming this beautiful flag.”
Esther Hobart Morris, the first female justice of the peace in the United States. New York Times, Credit: Library of Congress
Quote(s):
This is a claim from a historian claiming her fame is most given from her position as the nation's first woman judge.
"Considering her courage in accepting this position, opening herself to the ridicule of woman suffrage opponents in her town, and extriting herself from the social and political bonds of her time, she does not need a tea party to reserve her place in history." - Michael A. Massie, Women's Voices from the Western Frontier
This quote talks about the former Justice of Peace's protest of resigning for a woman to take his place.
"One man at least resigned as justive of peace in anger. "Ask a woman!" Very Well. She was not hard to find. Edward Slack [her son] would swear her in with pride, though Esther wished she were more 'qualified'. - Irene Arndt Huettl, Voices from the Western Frontier
When her term expired Esther Morris wrote a letter to the Laramie Daily Sentinel:
"Circumstances have transpired to make my position as justice of peace a test of women's ability to hold public office, and I feel that my work has been satisfactory, although I have often regretted I was not better qualified to fill the position. Like all pioneers, I have labored more in faith and hope." - Daily Sentinel, Janurary 21, 1871, Women's Voices from the Western Frontier