Stephen Wheeler was born in Hammondsport, Stuben County, New York on February 28, 1839. In 1858 he settled in southern Michigan where he enlisted in the Federal Army September 1, 1861. During the Civil War, Wheeler fought in the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Newtonia, Arkansas, and in Missouri and Louisiana.
After the war, he settled in Powhatan, Arkansas where he was appointed assistant assessor of internal revenue, assessor, and later collector. He edited the White River Journal of DeVall’s Bluff until 1869, then resigned to become quarter- master general in the state militia with the rank of brigadier general. In 1872 he was elected state auditor as a Republican, a position he held until May 1874, when he was taken out of office by the adoption of the new constitution.
In April 1875, he moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas where, on May 24, he was appointed clerk of two courts; the United States Criminal Court for the Western District of Arkansas and the Federal Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit. This latter office he held until his death; he continued as clerk of the district court, of “Hanging Judge” Isaac C. Parker, until June 4, 1897.
During the twenty-two years he served in the circuit court, Wheeler issued 18,877 writs for the arrest of persons charged with nearly every known crime.
On August 20, 1897 Wheeler was in route by train to apply for the position of clerk of the newly established U.S. Court in the Southern District, Indian Territory, at Ardmore, in the Chickasaw Nation. The train stopped briefly at Gainesville, Texas, where Wheeler got off. In his attempt to re-board the train, Wheeler misjudged its speed and fell to his death beneath the wheels.
This collection consists of letters addressed to Wheeler in his capacity as Clerk, U.S. District Court, Fort Smith, Arkansas. Three letters are addressed to a Wheeler successor.
Tracings: Cities and Towns – Fort Smith; Courts – U.S. District Court, Fort Smith; Garland, A.H. – U.S. Attorney General; Laws and Legislation; Parker, Judge Isaac C.; Wheeler, Stephen
Box 1
File 1 – Letter to Stephen Wheeler, from Attorney General of United States (Garland), May 14,1885.
File 2 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) Fort Smith from Daniel W.Jones, April 29, 1884.
File 3 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Doaley and Altenburg, September 21, 1892.
File 4 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Diebald Safe and Lock Co., September 21, 1892.
File 5 – Letter to Clerk of United States Court (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from W. J. Davis, June 6, 1883.
File 6 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Sam Davis, July 16, 1878.
File 7 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from Alfred Sully and Sam Davis, August 25, 1877.
File 8 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, July 16, 1878.
File 9 – Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, July 6, 1878.
File 10- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, June 17, 1878.
File 11- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, September 1, 1880.
File 12- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from H. W. Coffman, April 27, 1883.
File 13- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from H. W. Coffman, June 6, 1882.
File 14- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, Decemember 14, 1883.
File 15- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, July 2, 1880.
File 16- Letter to Clerk of United States Courts (Stephen Wheeler) at Fort Smith from S. C.Coak, June 14, 1880.
File 17- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from Sam Davis, undated.
File 18- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from Edward J. Cheever, April 5, 1887.
File 19- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from R. S. Chaytor, August 24, 1887.
File 20- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from A. Y. Casey, July 14, 1880.
File 21- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from A. Y. Casey, May 24, 1880.
File 22- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from K. F. Cantrell, September 6, 1879.
File 23- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from K. F. Cantrell, July 27, 1882.
File 24- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from K. F. Cantrell, February 4, 1880.
File 25- Letter to Thomas Bales from Alfred W. Bales, February 11, 1901.
File 26- Letter to Thomas Bales from Jacob Trieber, October 8, 1901.
File 27- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from W. H. Balinger, July 22, 1896.
File 28- Letter to Clerk of United States District Court from G. C. Briford, October 20, 1897.
File 29- Letter to Thomas Wheeler from Mack Rowland, August 1, 1885.
File 30- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from B. C. Brown, May 25, 1880.
File 31- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. H. Bohannan, September 1887.
File 32- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from P. K. Roats, August 4, 1881.
File 33- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from John ?, July 2, 1879.
File 34- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from G. W. Berryman, October 7, 1901.
File 35- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from John H. Rogers, March 13, 1890.
File 36- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from John H. Rogers, May 31, 1884.
File 37- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from John H. Rogers, February 7, 1885.
File 38- Letter to Thomas Bales from John Rogers, November 19, 1898.
File 39- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from John Rogers, April 23, 1890.
File 40- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from John Rogers, September 9, 1889.
File 41- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from Thomas J. Shinn, June 26, 1882.
File 42- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. W. Thompson, July 29, 1878.
File 43- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. B. Forrester, August 15, 1882.
File 44- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from W. S. Flo ?, September 10, 1882.
File 45- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from W. S. Fl ?, July 8, 1881.
File 46- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from W. S. Fl ?, July 27, 1881.
File 47- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from G. D. Goodness, May 9, 1878.
File 48- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from F. M. Grienhau, July 26, 1884.
File 49- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. O. Gilleneath, February 3, 1885.
File 50- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. B. Fulton, March 1, 1879.
File 51- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from ?, August 1880.
File 52- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, July 31, 1880.
File 53- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, March 17, 1883.
File 54- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, June 18, 1883.
File 55- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, May 12, 1884.
File 56- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from L. Gregg, June 17, 1884.
File 57- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from A. L. Thompson, October 22, 1885.
File 58- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from William L. Taylor, June 10, 1879.
File 59- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from William L. Taylor, June 23, 1879.
File 60- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. M. Anderson, March 25, 1884.
File 61- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. M. Anderson, June 14, 188?.
File 62- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from George Thornburgh, March 26, 1884.
File 63- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from C. B. Sanders, February 15, 1886.
File 64- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from C. B. Sanders, January 26, 1886.
File 65- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from J. D. Actkinson, June 2, 1883.
File 66- Letter to M. H. Sandels from A. H. Garland, Attorney General, May 27, 1887.
File 67- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from Dan W. Jones, October 3, 1885.
File 68- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from Dan W. Jones, September 19, 1885.
File 69- Letter to Stephen Wheeler from Dan W. Jones, ? 3, 1885.
End of Box 1
End of Collection