Draft:John Howard Gates

John Howard Gates (October 26, 1865 – November 8, 1927)^[1] was a justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court from January 1, 1913 to November 8, 1927.^[2]

Judge John Howard Gates of Sioux Falls, supreme court Judge of South Dakota, was born in Waterloo, Black Hawk county, Iowa, October 26, 1865, a son of John C. and Adelia (St. John) Gates. The father, a native of Ontario county, New York, was born February 16, 1838, a son of Joseph B. Gates, who was born on the old family homestead in the Empire state and there spent his entire life. He was a son of Daniel Gates, who came from Rutland, Vermont, and whose father took up land in the Phelps &. Gorham purchase about 1790. There the Gates family followed farming and the great-great-grandfathcr and the great-grandfather of Judge Gates continued to live there throughout their lives. The Gates family are direct descendants of John and Priscilla (Mullens) Alden. The great-great-grandfather, Daniel Gates, was the second husband of Milcah Ludden, who was born April 7, 1765, and was a daughter of Benjamin and Esther (Capen) Ludden. The latter was a daughter of John and Ruth (Thayer) Capen, and Ruth Thayer was a daughter of Ephraim and Sarah (Bass) Thayer. The ancestry is still traced back in the maternal line through Sarah Bass, a daughter of John and Ruth (Alden) Bass, the latter a daughter of John and Priscilla (Mullens) Alden. John C. Gates, father of Judge Gates, was reared on the old homestead in the Empire state and was educated at Genesee College at Lima, New York, of which school his wife, who bore the maiden name of Adelia St. John, was also a graduate. In fact they completed their course in the same year, 1863, and in March, 1864, they were married, removing in September of the same 'year to Waterloo, Iowa. The wife, who was born in Newark, Wayne county, New York, February 25, 1841, died in Waterloo on the lst of February, 1873. The St. John family comes of French Huguenot ancestry and was established on American soil soon after the Mayflower brought its cargo of passengers to the new world. The line of descent is traced down through John St. John, who was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, in April, 1735. He became a very prominent man of notable strength of character and held many important positions of trust. He was very prominent in the work of the church, in which he filled the position of deacon. At the time of the Revolutionary war he served as a captain in the Fifth Connecticut_Regiment and he lived for some years to enjoy the fruits of liberty, passing away April 16, 1816. His son, John St. John II, was born July 15, 1764, in Wilton, Connecticut, and died in Westport, New York, April 26, 1854. His son, Josiah St. John,_was born February 19, 1792, became a veteran of the War of 1812 and resided in Arcadia, New York, his death there occurring April 7, 1857. He was the father of Elon St. John, who was born May 9, 1816, and died September 29, 1893. It was his daughter Adelia who in March, 1864, became the wife of John C. Gates. Following their removal to Iowa, John C. Gates was variously employed until he became deputy county auditor of Black Hawk county in 1871 to 1872 and in the fall of the latter year he was elected clerk of the courts and was continued in the office by reelection until he had filled that position for eight years. During that period he read law and was admitted to practice. At the end of his official term, in 1881, he formed a partnership with Lore Alford and conducted an abstract business for many years but finally disposed of the abstract business. The law firm, however, continued until 1899, when Mr. Alford passed away. The firm then became Gates & Lifring and so continues, although Mr. Gates is now practically retired from active connection with the bar. He has always taken a deep and helpful interest in politics and his opinions have long carried weight.^[1]

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References

^ ^a ^b History of Dakota Territory - Volume 5 - Page 371 - George Washington Kingsbury, George Martin Smith - 1915 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ A Photographic History of the South Dakota Supreme Court (1995), p. 13.