Lane, Ebenezer, 1793-1866

Variant names

Hide Profile

Lawyer, railroad executive, and chief justice of Ohio Supreme Court; b. in Massachusetts; attended Griswold Law School, Norwich, Conn.; married Maryann Griswold.

From the description of Lane collection, [17--]-[19--]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70954190

Two generations of the Ebenezer Lane family are represented in this collection.

The papers of the first Ebenezer Lane (1793-1866), the son of Capt. Ebenezer Lane and Marion Griswold, daughter of Connecticut’s Governor George Griswold, record four major aspects of his life: his early years, his career as a lawyer and judge, his interest in the railroads, and his long-awaited visit to Europe.

The early years were spent in Northampton, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts where he attended Harvard University. After graduating from Harvard in 1811 he studied law with his uncle, Matthew Griswold. In 1814 Lane was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Norwich and East Windsor, Connecticut. After three years in Connecticut he decided to emigrate west and settled in Elyria, Ohio. He returned briefly to New England in 1818 to marry Frances Ann Griswold, his cousin from Lyme, Conn.

When the young lawyer returned to Ohio, he rapidly gained prominence during a period when, in his words, law "was a new field inducing new studies or rather old studies from a different standpoint." In October of 1819, he moved to Norwalk, Ohio where he had been elected the prosecuting attorney of Huron County. After five years as prosecuting attorney Lane was appointed judge of the Common Pleas Court. In 1830 he was named judge of the Ohio Supreme Court, and in 1835 became Chief Justice and travelled the Ohio circuit until his resignation in 1845. When he left the bench he turned once more to private practice in Sandusky, Ohio.

Lane retired in 1859, and fulfilling a life-long dream, he visited Europe. After the trip Lane returned to Sandusky and died there in 1866.

His oldest son, Ebenezer S. Lane is also represented in this collection. He was born on August 16, 1819. He attended Kenyon College. After he was graduated in 1838, Lane studied medicine at the Ohio Medical School. Lane completed medical school and practiced medicine in Sandusky. In 1856 he moved to Chicago where, like his father, he was active in the Illinois Central Railroad. Lane and his family were prominent in the early cultural and social life in Chicago. He spent the last thirty years of his life in the real estate and loan business, and died in Chicago in 1892.

From the guide to the Lane, Ebenezer, Family. Papers, 1811-1866, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Lane, William Griswold, 1824-1877. William Griswold Lane memorial collection, 1670-1947 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Evarts family papers, 1753-1960 (bulk 1798-1901) Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn West, E., fl. 1819. Letter : Elyria, Ohio, to Ebenezer Lane, Norwalk, Ohio, 1819 Oct. 20. University of Chicago Library
referencedIn West, E., fl. 1819. Letter : Elyria, Ohio, to Ebenezer Lane, Norwalk, Ohio, 1819 Oct. 20. Texas Christian University
creatorOf Lane, Ebenezer, 1793-1866. Family papers, 1811-1866. University of Chicago Library
referencedIn Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture. Certificate of admission for Ebenezer Lane, 1797 Apr. 28. University of Chicago Library
creatorOf Lane, Ebenezer, 1793-1866. Lane collection, [17--]-[19--]. Florence Griswold Museum
referencedIn Andrews, John W. Letter, 1844 Apr. 9. Ohio History Connection, Ohio Historical Society
referencedIn Sheldon, J. W., fl. 1822. Letter : Buffalo, N.Y., to Leonard Case, Cleveland, Ohio, 1822 Oct. 1. University of Chicago Library
creatorOf Lane, Ebenezer, 1793-1866. Letter : to Ebenezer Lane from W.H. [P?], 1815 Oct. 20. University of Chicago Library
creatorOf Lane, Ebenezer, Family. Papers, 1811-1866 Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library,
creatorOf Frothingham, N. L. (Nathaniel Langdon), 1793-1870. Letter : Boston, to Ebenezer Lane, Lyme, Conn., 1811 December 6. New York State Library
referencedIn Sheldon, J. W., fl. 1822. Letter : Buffalo, N.Y., to Leonard Case, Cleveland, Ohio, 1822 Oct. 1. Texas Christian University
referencedIn Lane, Wolcott Griswold, d. 1956. Wolcott G. Lane collection, 1930. Connecticut Historical Society
referencedIn Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture. Certificate of admission for Ebenezer Lane, 1797 Apr. 28. Texas Christian University
creatorOf Letter : to Ebenezer Lane from W.H. [S], 1815 Oct. 20. Texas Christian University
Letter : to Ebenezer Lane from W.H. [S], 1815 Oct. 20. Texas Christian University
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Andrews, John W. person
associatedWith Calumet Club (Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
associatedWith Calumet Club (Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
associatedWith Evarts family family
associatedWith Evarts family. family
associatedWith Frothingham, N. L. (Nathaniel Langdon), 1793-1870. person
associatedWith Goddard, Calvin, 1768-1842. person
associatedWith Griswold Augustus Henry, 1789-1836. person
associatedWith Griswold, Charles. person
associatedWith Griswold family. family
associatedWith Griswold, Matthew, 1653-1715. person
associatedWith Griswold, Matthew, 1714-1799. person
associatedWith Griswold, Robert, 1806-1881. person
associatedWith Griswold, Roger, 1762-1812. person
associatedWith Hillhouse, James, 1754-1832. person
associatedWith Huntington, Ebenezer, 1754-1834. person
associatedWith Huntington, Samuel, 1731-1796. person
associatedWith Lane, Ebenezer, 1821-1881. person
associatedWith Lane family. family
associatedWith Lane, William Griswold, 1824-1877. person
associatedWith Lane, Wolcott Griswold, d. 1956. person
associatedWith Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture. corporateBody
associatedWith Parsons, Samuel Holden, 1737-1789. person
associatedWith Powers, Julia, 1787-1852. person
associatedWith Sheldon, J. W., fl. 1822. person
associatedWith Tracy, Uriah, 1755-1807. person
associatedWith Trumbull, Jonathan, 1710-1785. person
associatedWith West, E., fl. 1819. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Old Lyme (Conn.)
Ohio
Connecticut--Old Lyme
Connecticut
Subject
Collectors and collecting
Decedents' estates
Lawyers
Railroads
Occupation
Governors
Judges
Politicians
Activity

Person

Birth 1793-12-17

Death 1866-06-13

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k64z7d

Ark ID: w6k64z7d

SNAC ID: 41039384