Judge Francis IVES

  General Notes:

The subject of this sketch while an occupant of the district bench in the Fourteenth Judicial district brought upon himself considerable opposition by his vigorous enforcement of the law against violators of the statutes relating to gambling and the liquor traffic. This opposition undertook to secure his impeachment in the legislature of 1895, but without success. Francis Ives was born in Orange County, Vermont, July 16, 1831, the son of Warren and Louisa B. Ladd (Ives.) His father was a lumber manufacturer in comfortable financial circumstances. Francis was educated in the common schools and academies. He began the study of law in New York in 1852 and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He came to Minnesota in June, 1856, and settled in Red Wing, where he practiced law until the spring of 1859. He then made a tour of Texas, Arizona and Mexico, and was absent as a newspaper correspondent until the spring of 1861. At the outbreak of the war he was on his way home from the South. In June, 1861, he married Miss Helen M. Many, a native of Vermont, and again located at Red Wing for the practice of his profession. His wife died in 1868, and in the year 1878 he removed to Crookston, the change being made largely on account of his failing health. The years between 1870 and 1878 spent mostly out of doors to regain health. In his new location he formed a partnership with John McLain, which partnership continued until August, 1881. The firm of Ives & McLain was, at the beginning of the last decade, one of the best known legal firms in Northern Minnesota. After the dissolution of the partnership, Mr. Ives continued alone in the practice of law until 1888, when, for a short period, he was associated with the late D. E. Hottlestad. In June, 1883, he was married to Miss Cornelia E. Brigham, of Boston. Mr. Ives had always been a republican in his early years, but in 1890 believing that the republican party was no longer in sympathy with the political principles upon which it was founded, he transferred his connections to what was then known as the Alliance. In February, 1891, when the People's party was formed, he joined that organization, and in 1891 was nominated by it for the office of judge of the Fourteenth Judicial District, and was elected. He took his seat in January, 1893. He soon found several towns in his district under the control of gamblers and keepers of houses of ill-fame, and soon afterwards inaugurated a movement which subsequently resulted in the eradication of these forms of vice and crime to a very considerable extent. This was not accomplished, however, without vigorous opposition. The grand jury, which met in December, 1894, having failed to indict violators of the law, although urged to take such action, Judge Ives denounced their course as in violation of plain duty, and discharged them with a reprimand. He then directed the clerk to call another jury for the term beginning January 15, 1895, which found fifty-six indictments and four presentments on practically the same evidence that was presented to the previous jury. This vigorous action on Judge Ive's part led to the presentation of charges before the grand jury and proceedings of impeachment, but the legislature declined to sustain the charges. As the result of his vindication a much more wholesome respect for law and the better observance of its requirements has been the rule in that district ever since. Judge Ives has one child living, the son of his first wife, Harry E. Ives, who now resides at St. Hilaire.[