Charles Silent
Encyclopedia
Charles Silent was a German
-born American
jurist
who served as an Associate Justice of the Arizona Territorial
Supreme Court. After leaving the bench he entered private practice and became one of Los Angeles
' leading attorneys. His interest in horticulture
led to his involvement in the Los Angeles parks system.
, his family immigrated to Columbus, Ohio
later that year. At the age of twelve, he borrowed some money and left home for New York City
. From there he sailed to California
, arriving in San Francisco in August 1856.
Silent found work in Drytown, California
. Studying during his spare time, he earned a teacher's certificate when he was seventeen years old. He worked several years as a teacher before enrolling at the University of the Pacific in 1862. In 1864, Silent married Emma Daniel of Santa Clara, California
. The marriage lasted till her death in 1870 and produced three children: Edward D., Fred C, and Elizabeth W.
Silent left college in 1866 to become Principal of the Santa Clara school district. He continued his studies and began reading law
, earning admission to the California bar
in 1868 and an honorary Master of Arts
from the University of the Pacific in 1872. Silent was married again in 1872 to Mary C. Tantau. This second union produced two children: Florence and Chester.
Upon his admission to the bar, Silent became a partner in the San Jose
law firm of Moore, Laine, & Silent. He practiced at the firm for the next decade. Meanwhile, Silent also developed interests in the railroad business, become head of a pair of lines, one running between San Jose and Santa Clara the other between Santa Cruz
and Felton
.
and Aaron A. Sargent, Silent was appointed an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona in February 1878. Shortly after his arrival in Prescott
, the judge learned that the practice of law in Arizona was significantly better paying than that of judge. As a result he decided he should resign. Upon learning of this intention, the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature
raised his annual salary to US$2000 more than his fellow associate justices. The Legislature also sent him with Governor Frémont
to lobby in Washington D.C. to have an order by Secretary of the Interior
Carl Schurz
to extend the boundaries of the Gila River Indian Reservation
into the Salt River Valley.
In addition to his duties as a judge, Silent developed a number of business interests in mining. The Arizona Territorial Delegate to Congress John G. Campbell
used the existence of these business interests in an attempt to have Judge Silent removed from office. Silent admitted to the interests but claimed they did not interfere with his duties. On June 18, 1880 an investigation by the United States Attorney General
found the charges insufficient to justify removal.
Silent resigned as an associate justice on October 18, 1880. He then moved to Tucson
were he held a private legal practice for the next three years. In addition to his thriving legal practice, his mining interests prospered and he became quite wealthy. In 1883, Silent's health began to decline and he spent the next two years traveling in an attempt to recover.
near the end of 1885. There, as a partner in the legal firm Houghton, Silent, and Campbell, he become "one of the leading attorneys not only of the bar of Los Angeles, but of the state of California". His interest in horticulture
led to him accepting membership on the Los Angeles park commission. As a commission member, Silent became key in refurbishment of Pershing Square (Los Angeles)
. In 1897, as a means of reducing local unemployment in the city, Silent organized a beautification project for the entrance to Elysian Park.
In 1907, Silent's son Chester died in a hunting accident, to which the former judge responded by largely withdrawing from his legal practice and devoting his time to real estate projects. One of these, Chester Place
, was named after his son.
Silent died at his Los Alias Ranch, near Glendora, California
, on December 14, 1918. His cremains were placed in a family plot at Los Angeles' Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
who served as an Associate Justice of the Arizona Territorial
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....
Supreme Court. After leaving the bench he entered private practice and became one of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' leading attorneys. His interest in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
led to his involvement in the Los Angeles parks system.
Background
Silent was born in Baden, Germany, on January 1, 1842. Due to his father's participation in the Revolutions of 1848Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, his family immigrated to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
later that year. At the age of twelve, he borrowed some money and left home for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. From there he sailed to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, arriving in San Francisco in August 1856.
Silent found work in Drytown, California
Drytown, California
Drytown is a census-designated place in Amador County, California. It is located south of Plymouth on Dry Creek, at an elevation of 646 feet . The current population is 167. The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #31. The community is in ZIP code 95699 and area code 209...
. Studying during his spare time, he earned a teacher's certificate when he was seventeen years old. He worked several years as a teacher before enrolling at the University of the Pacific in 1862. In 1864, Silent married Emma Daniel of Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
. The marriage lasted till her death in 1870 and produced three children: Edward D., Fred C, and Elizabeth W.
Silent left college in 1866 to become Principal of the Santa Clara school district. He continued his studies and began reading law
Reading law
Reading law is the method by which persons in common law countries, particularly the United States, entered the legal profession before the advent of law schools. This usage specifically refers to a means of entering the profession . A small number of U.S...
, earning admission to the California bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1868 and an honorary Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from the University of the Pacific in 1872. Silent was married again in 1872 to Mary C. Tantau. This second union produced two children: Florence and Chester.
Upon his admission to the bar, Silent became a partner in the San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
law firm of Moore, Laine, & Silent. He practiced at the firm for the next decade. Meanwhile, Silent also developed interests in the railroad business, become head of a pair of lines, one running between San Jose and Santa Clara the other between Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
and Felton
Felton, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Felton had a population of 4,057. The population density was 891.2 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Felton was 3,691 White, 25 African American, 29 Native American, 69 Asian, 11 Pacific Islander, 60 from other races, and 172 from...
.
Arizona Territory
Upon the recommendation of Newton BoothNewton Booth
Newton Booth was an American politician.Born in Salem, Indiana, he attended the common schools. In 1841, his parents Beebe and Hannah Booth moved from Salem to Terre Haute, Indiana. Newton graduated from Asbury University, later renamed DePauw University, in nearby Greencastle, Indiana. He studied...
and Aaron A. Sargent, Silent was appointed an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona in February 1878. Shortly after his arrival in Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, the judge learned that the practice of law in Arizona was significantly better paying than that of judge. As a result he decided he should resign. Upon learning of this intention, the 10th Arizona Territorial Legislature
10th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 10th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened on January 6, 1879, in Prescott, Arizona Territory....
raised his annual salary to US$2000 more than his fellow associate justices. The Legislature also sent him with Governor Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
to lobby in Washington D.C. to have an order by Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz
Carl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
to extend the boundaries of the Gila River Indian Reservation
Gila River Indian Community
The Gila River Indian Community is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the city of Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in Pinal and Maricopa Counties. It was established in 1859, and formally established by Congress in 1939...
into the Salt River Valley.
In addition to his duties as a judge, Silent developed a number of business interests in mining. The Arizona Territorial Delegate to Congress John G. Campbell
John G. Campbell
John Goulder Campbell was a delegate from Arizona Territory in the United States House of Representatives....
used the existence of these business interests in an attempt to have Judge Silent removed from office. Silent admitted to the interests but claimed they did not interfere with his duties. On June 18, 1880 an investigation by the United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
found the charges insufficient to justify removal.
Silent resigned as an associate justice on October 18, 1880. He then moved to 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...
were he held a private legal practice for the next three years. In addition to his thriving legal practice, his mining interests prospered and he became quite wealthy. In 1883, Silent's health began to decline and he spent the next two years traveling in an attempt to recover.
Southern California
Silent settled in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
near the end of 1885. There, as a partner in the legal firm Houghton, Silent, and Campbell, he become "one of the leading attorneys not only of the bar of Los Angeles, but of the state of California". His interest in horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
led to him accepting membership on the Los Angeles park commission. As a commission member, Silent became key in refurbishment of Pershing Square (Los Angeles)
Pershing Square (Los Angeles)
Pershing Square is a public park in downtown Los Angeles, California. The park is exactly one square block in size, bounded by 5th Street to the north, 6th Street to the south, Hill Street to the east, and Olive Street to the west...
. In 1897, as a means of reducing local unemployment in the city, Silent organized a beautification project for the entrance to Elysian Park.
In 1907, Silent's son Chester died in a hunting accident, to which the former judge responded by largely withdrawing from his legal practice and devoting his time to real estate projects. One of these, Chester Place
Chester Place
Chester Place was one of the first gated communities in Los Angeles, California. It was notable for its close proximity to the University of Southern California, as well as prestigious residents such as Edward L. Doheny. The community later became a satellite campus of Mount St...
, was named after his son.
Silent died at his Los Alias Ranch, near Glendora, California
Glendora, California
Glendora is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2010 census, the population of Glendora was 50,073....
, on December 14, 1918. His cremains were placed in a family plot at Los Angeles' Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery.