Samuel C. Parks

Samuel Chipman Parks (March 25, 1820 – February 8, 1917) was an American lawyer and jurist who practiced law with Abraham Lincoln, and was later appointed to serve as a justice of three different territorial supreme courts by three different presidents, serving on the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court from 1862 to 1865, the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court from 1878 to 1882, and the Wyoming Territorial Supreme Court from 1882 to 1886.

Early life, education, and career Born in Middlebury, Vermont, to B. Parks, a professor at Indiana University Bloomington.

Soon after his graduation, in 1840, Parks moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he taught school for six years, He resigned from the court in 1865, leaving office in May 1865, following the death of one of his children in Illinois. Parks was also a delegate to the 1870 Illinois Constitutional Convention. At Parks's request, President Chester A. Arthur nominated him as Associate Justice of the Wyoming Territorial Supreme Court on January 6, 1882, and he was confirmed by the senate five days later. He served on the latter court until 1886, and afterwards served on the State Board of Pardons of Kansas and a court referee in Cleveland, Ohio.

Death He died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. D. Lee, of Kansas City, Missouri. At the time of his death, at age 97, he was Indiana University's oldest living alumnus. By coincidence he was laid to rest on the anniversary of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.