Ellsworth Burnett Belden

Ellsworth Burnett Belden (May 18, 1866 – March 11, 1939) was an American lawyer and judge from Racine County, Wisconsin. He served nearly 50 years as a judge in Racine County, serving 12 years as county judge (1889–1902), then serving 37 years as Wisconsin circuit court judge for the 1st circuit—then-comprising Racine, Kenosha, and Walworth counties—from 1902 until his death in 1939.

His paternal grandfather, Philo Belden, was one of the earliest settlers of Rochester, Wisconsin, and a prominent politician and judge in early Racine County.

Biography Born in Rochester, Wisconsin, Belden was educated in the common schools of the district and graduated from the Rochester Seminary in 1883. He was employed by his grandfather, Judge Philo Belden, in the County Court of Racine County until the fall of 1884, when he entered the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin. At the time of his graduation, in 1886, he was the youngest person to have ever received a diploma from the school. At age 20, however, he was still technically too young to practice law in the state of Wisconsin, thus worked for a time as an assistant to the Attorney General of Wisconsin, Leander F. Frisby.

When eligible, he was admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin and began practicing law in Racine County. But in April 1889, he ran for County Judge to replace his grandfather, who was retiring. After the younger Belden won the election, Judge Philo Belden opted to resign his office early due to his deteriorating health. The Governor appointed the younger Belden to begin his term early and he was sworn into office on September 5, 1889. At the time of his election, at age 23, he was the youngest County Judge in the history of the state.

Personal life and family Belden was a grandson of Philo Belden, who was one of the founders of the town of Rochester, Wisconsin, and served in many state and local offices in the early years of Wisconsin's statehood. His father, Henry Ward Belden, served as an officer in the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War.

During World War I, Judge Belden was an active and effective campaigner for Liberty Loans, and his son, Stanley, served as an officer in the U.S. Army.

Wisconsin Circuit Court (1901–1937)

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1916)