Henry T. Backus
Encyclopedia
Henry Titus Backus was a politician from the U. S. state of Michigan
and judge from the Arizona Territory
.
to James and Dorothy Backus. He attended schools in Norwich and the academy in Plainfield
. In Norwich, he worked in a crockery store and studied law with Judge Calvin Goddard. He later attended Yale Law School
and was admitted to the bar
in February 1833. The following year he moved to Detroit
and practiced law with future Governor of Michigan
William Woodbridge
and later became senior partner in the law firm, Backus and Harbough. On December 7, 1835, he married Woodbridge’s daughter, Juliana Trumball Woodbridge.
in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1840 and was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1850. He was Grand Master of Masons
in Michigan from 1851 to 1853 and served as alderman
from the 9th ward of Detroit from 1860 to 1861.
In 1860, Backus was elected as a Republican
to the Michigan Senate
and chosen as president pro tempore of the state senate after Joseph R. Williams
took on the duties as the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
. After the death of Williams a couple months later on June 15, 1861, Backus took on the duties as the 15th Lieutenant Governor
under Austin Blair
until January 1863.
to the Territorial Supreme Court of Arizona to replace William T. Howell. The U. S. Senate confirmed the nomination on the following day and Backus took the oath of office on April 20. He left for Arizona that fall on held a term of Court at Tucson
in January 1866.
Backus rendered a decision that the Governor of Arizona had no authority under the Arizona Organic Act
to apportion the members of the territorial legislature. As a result, all the laws enacted by the 3rd, 4th and 5th legislatures were void. The U.S. Congress passed an act to legalize those laws which had been voided from 1866 to 1868. The act was approved on March 25, 1870.
of Tempe
. The following day he died at the age of sixty-eight on the Big Sandy River
in Mohave County
. He was originally interred at Greenwood, which is now a ghost town, and was later re-interred on August 7, 1885, in the Yantic Cemetery near Norwich, Connecticut.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and judge from the Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
.
Early life
Backus was born in Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
to James and Dorothy Backus. He attended schools in Norwich and the academy in Plainfield
Plainfield, Connecticut
Plainfield is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,619 at the 2000 census. The town comprises four villages: Plainfield , Moosup , Wauregan , and Central Village . Each village has their own respective United States Post Office and fire department...
. In Norwich, he worked in a crockery store and studied law with Judge Calvin Goddard. He later attended Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
and was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in February 1833. The following year he moved to Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and practiced law with future Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
William Woodbridge
William Woodbridge
William Woodbridge was a U.S. statesman in the states of Ohio and Michigan and in the Michigan Territory prior to statehood...
and later became senior partner in the law firm, Backus and Harbough. On December 7, 1835, he married Woodbridge’s daughter, Juliana Trumball Woodbridge.
Politics
Backus served as a WhigWhig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1840 and was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1850. He was Grand Master of Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in Michigan from 1851 to 1853 and served as alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
from the 9th ward of Detroit from 1860 to 1861.
In 1860, Backus was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Michigan Senate
Michigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
and chosen as president pro tempore of the state senate after Joseph R. Williams
Joseph R. Williams
Joseph Rickelson Williams was an American politician and the first president for the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first Land-Grant Institution to be established in the United States and now one of the largest universities in the United States, Michigan State University.-Early...
took on the duties as the Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor, and one of four great offices of state...
. After the death of Williams a couple months later on June 15, 1861, Backus took on the duties as the 15th Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor, and one of four great offices of state...
under Austin Blair
Austin Blair
Austin Blair , also known as the Civil War Governor, was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan...
until January 1863.
Judicial career
On March 10, 1865, Backus was nominated by U. S. President Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
to the Territorial Supreme Court of Arizona to replace William T. Howell. The U. S. Senate confirmed the nomination on the following day and Backus took the oath of office on April 20. He left for Arizona that fall on held a term of Court at Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
in January 1866.
Backus rendered a decision that the Governor of Arizona had no authority under the Arizona Organic Act
Arizona Organic Act
The Arizona Organic Act was a United States federal law introduced as H.R. 357 in the 2d session of the 37th Congress on March 12, 1862, by Rep. James M. Ashley of Ohio. The Act provided for the creation of the Arizona Territory by the division of the New Mexico Territory into two territories,...
to apportion the members of the territorial legislature. As a result, all the laws enacted by the 3rd, 4th and 5th legislatures were void. The U.S. Congress passed an act to legalize those laws which had been voided from 1866 to 1868. The act was approved on March 25, 1870.
Retirement and death
Backus resigned in 1869 and returned to Detroit to practice law. In 1877, he returned to the Arizona Territory to look after some land he had acquired there. On July 12 he became ill while traveling to Greenwood with Judge Charles T. HaydenCharles T. Hayden
Charles Trumbull Hayden was an American businessman and probate judge. His influence was felt in the development of Arizona Territory where he helped found both the city of Tempe and Arizona State University. Hayden is also known as the father of U.S...
of Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
. The following day he died at the age of sixty-eight on the Big Sandy River
Big Sandy River (Arizona)
The Big Sandy River is in northwestern Arizona in Mohave County. It begins where Cottonwood Wash and Trout Creek converge in the Hualapai Indian Reservation near Hualapai Peak then flows past Wikieup south of Kingman. It has a length of and joins the Santa Maria River to form Bill Williams River...
in Mohave County
Mohave County, Arizona
Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...
. He was originally interred at Greenwood, which is now a ghost town, and was later re-interred on August 7, 1885, in the Yantic Cemetery near Norwich, Connecticut.