Alfred M. Craig

Alfred Marion Craig (January 15, 1832 – September 6, 1911) was an American judge from Illinois. Born and raised in the state, he was first elected as Knox County judge before he was named to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1873. Craig served three nine-year terms there, as Chief Justice four times.

Biography He was born on January 15, 1832, in Paris, Illinois, the son of David and Mintie Craig. He attended public schools and Knox College, graduating in 1853. He moved to Lewistown and studied law under Hezekiah H. Weed and William C. Goudy. Craig was admitted to the bar in 1855 and moved to Knoxville to form the law firm of Manning, Douglas & Craig.

In 1864, Craig was elected as Knox County judge. He formed a new practice with his brother-in-law C. K. Harvey in 1868. Craig represented Knoxville in the unsuccessful legal battle to remain the county seat of Knox County. He lost an election to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1868 and an election to the Illinois Senate two years later. As one of the foremost judges in the area affiliated with the Democratic Party, Craig was nominated to challenge the Republican Justice Charles B. Lawrence for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court in 1873. Craig's bid was successful. He was re-elected in 1882, defeating John Davis McCulloch, and again in 1891, defeating Henry W. Wells. He died in Galesburg on September 6, 1911, from pneumonia and was buried in Hope Cemetery.