sessionsj
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
JOSEPH SESSIONS, an attorney
of excellent reputation, was born January 16, 1857, in the old and historic
city of Georgetown, South Carolina. He grew to manhood in his native
city, where he received a thorough grammar school education, and also was
graduated from Wofford College in Spartanburg, in the same state.
Returning home after his graduation, he applied himself to the study of
law, and two years later, in 1879, successfully passed an examination before
the supreme court of his state which admitted him to the bar as a full-fledged
attorney. The following year he took a course of lectures in the
Sumner law school of the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, returned
to Georgetown and embarked upon the practice of his profession. He
remained here until 1884, when he went to Tucson, Arizona, and continued
in the law in that city until returning to South Carolina in 1885.
He next went to Bartow, Florida, remained until 1888, then removed to Decatur,
Alabama. On account of a yellow fever epidemic, which seized that
country, he left the south for Washington and arrived at Tacoma, January
23, 1889. He opened an office in Tacoma and there practiced his profession
until 1892, when he came to Colfax, where he later became deputy prosecuting
attorney of Whitman county. In April, 1896, he came to Davenport,
practiced before the Lincoln county court for five years, then removed
to Redding, California, where he practiced in partnership with judge Edward
Sweeney. January 1, 1904, he returned to Davenport with the intention
of making this city his future and permanent home and field of labor.
He has formed a partnership with judge N. T. Caton, recognized as being
one of the ablest members of the Washington state bar.
Mr. Sessions has been identified with some
of the leading cases of Pierce, Whitman, and Lincoln counties, and has
successfully practiced before the supreme court of this state and of California.
A staunch Democrat politically, he has been an active factor in his party
where-ever he has lived. In fraternity circles he is identified with
the W. W.
Joseph Sessions was the son of Thomas R. and
Jane Elizabeth (Davis) Sessions, who were born, reared, and died in Georgetown.
His paternal ancestors were of old New England stock, and early settlers
in South Carolina. His father was a merchant and leading citizen
of his native city, where he served a number of terms in county offices.
He served in the Confederate army during the Civil War, and died at the
age of eighty-five, December 12, 1896. The mother died in December,
1902, in her seventy-ninth year. The brothers and sisters of Mr.
Sessions are: D. R. and C. B., both attorneys for the Southern Pacific
railroad, with offices in San Francisco; Thomas S., a merchant of Georgetown,
S. C.; Mrs. J. Z. McConnell, Georgetown county, South Carolina; and Mrs.
George Nesmith, of Williamsburg county, in the same state.
May 19, 1895, occurred the marriage of Joseph
Sessions to Miss Blanche B. Bellinger, daughter of the late Hon. Jacob
H. Bellinger and Hannah A. Bellinger. Mr. and Mrs. Bellinger were
early pioneers in Colfax, Washington, coming from Ogdensburg, New York,
which city was the place of Mrs. Sessions' birth.
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