List of former United States district courts

The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the jurisdictions which they covered increased in population. Two of the district courts—those of South Carolina and New Jersey—were subdivided but later recreated. Every change to the divisions and boundaries of these courts is effected by an act of the United States Congress, and for each such action, the statutory reference is identified.

Alabama

The United States District Court for the District of Alabama was created on April 21, 1820, by 3 Stat. 564.^[1]^[2] It was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on March 10, 1824, by 4 Stat. 9.^[1]^[2] The Middle District was subsequently formed from parts of these two districts on February 6, 1839, by 5 Stat. 315,^[1]^[2]^[3] with legislation specifying that the Middle District Court was to be held at Tuscaloosa, the Northern District Court at Huntsville, and the Southern District Court at Mobile.^[1] The Districts were reorganized on August 7, 1848.^[4] Only one judge was ever appointed to the District of Alabama.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Charles Tait	James Monroe	000000001820-05-13-0000May 13, 1820	000000001824-03-10-0000March 10, 1824	reassigned to subdivided districts of Alabama

Arkansas

Arkansas, originally part of the Louisiana Purchase, became part of the Missouri Territory in 1812, when Louisiana became a state. When Missouri became a state in 1819, a territorial government, including a territorial court, was organized for Arkansas, taking effect on July 4, 1819.^[5] The United States District Court for the District of Arkansas was established with a single judge when Arkansas became a state, on June 15, 1836, by 5 Stat. 50, 51.^[5]^[6] The court was subdivided into Eastern and the Western Districts on March 3, 1851, by 9 Stat. 594.^[1]^[6]^[7]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Benjamin Johnson	Andrew Jackson	000000001836-06-29-0000June 29, 1836	000000001849-10-02-0000October 2, 1849	death
Daniel Ringo	Zachary Taylor	000000001849-11-05-0000November 5, 1849^[8]	000000001851-03-03-0000March 3, 1851	reassigned to subdivided districts of Arkansas

California

The United States District Court for the District of California existed from 1866 to 1886. California was admitted as a state on September 9, 1850, and was initially divided into two districts, the Northern and the Southern, by Act of Congress approved September 28, 1850, 9 Stat. 521.^[9] The boundary line was at the 37th parallel of North Latitude.^[10] The creating act provided that:

In addition to the ordinary jurisdiction and powers of a District Court of the United States, with which the Southern District Court of New York has been invested, the said Courts be and hereby are invested respectively within the limits of its district with the exercise of concurrent jurisdiction and power in all civil cases now exercised by the Circuit Courts of the United States; and that in all cases where said Courts shall exercise such jurisdiction, appeals may be taken from the judgments, orders or decrees of said Courts to the Supreme Court of the United States.

On February 27, 1851, President Millard Fillmore appointed Ogden Hoffman, Jr., as the judge presiding over the Northern District. The Act of August 31, 1852, made the Judge of the Northern District be Judge of the Southern District as well until otherwise provided, by 10 Stat. 76, 84,^[9] effectively creating a single District in all but name until an Act of January 18, 1854 provided for the appointment of a Judge for the Southern District.^[10] The Southern District of California was abolished and the State made to constitute one district by Act of Congress approved July 27, 1866, 14 Stat. 300.^[9]^[10]

Twenty years later, on August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District of California (and, by extension, the Northern District) by 24 Stat. 308.^[10] Hoffman, who had continued serving as the sole district judge, again became judge of the Northern district only, there continuing in service for five more years. Erskine Mayo Ross was appointed Judge of the new Southern District and served until his promotion to the Circuit Judgeship, when he was succeeded by Olin Wellborn.^[10]

On March 18, 1966, the Eastern and Central Districts were created from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.^[9]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Ogden Hoffman, Jr.	Millard Fillmore	000000001866-07-23-0000July 23, 1866	000000001886-08-05-0000August 5, 1886	reassigned to Northern District of California

Florida

On the same day that Florida was admitted as a state, March 3, 1845, Congress enacted legislation creating the United States District Court for the District of Florida, 5 Stat. 788.^[11]^[12] On February 23, 1847, 9 Stat. 131^[11]^[12] divided the jurisdiction of this court between the Northern District and a Southern District Courts with the boundary between as:

[T]hat part of the State of Florida lying south of a line drawn due east and west from the northern point of Charlotte Harbor, including the islands, keys, reefs, shoals, harbors, bays and inlets, south of said line, shall be erected into a new judicial district, to be called the Southern District of Florida; a District Court shall be held in said Southern District, to consist of one judge, who shall reside at Key West, in said district...

The same statute directed the Northern District to hold court at Apalachicola, Florida, and Pensacola, Florida.

On July 30, 1962, the Middle District was created from portions of the other districts by 76 Stat. 247.^[12]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Isaac H. Bronson	James K. Polk	000000001846-08-08-0000August 8, 1846	000000001847-02-23-0000February 23, 1847	reassigned to Northern District of Florida

Georgia

The United States District Court for the District of Georgia was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[13] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on August 11, 1848, by 9 Stat. 280.^[1]^[7]^[13] The Middle District was formed from portions of those two Districts on May 28, 1926, by 44 Stat. 670.^[13]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Clay, Jr., JosephJoseph Clay, Jr.	George Washington	000000001796-09-16-0000September 16, 1796^[14]	000000001801-02-24-0000February 24, 1801	reappointment
Cuyler, Jeremiah La ToucheJeremiah La Touche Cuyler	James Monroe	000000001821-06-12-0000June 12, 1821^[15]	000000001839-05-07-0000May 7, 1839	death
Davies, WilliamWilliam Davies	James Monroe	000000001819-01-14-0000January 14, 1819	000000001821-03-09-0000March 9, 1821	resignation
Nicoll, John CochranJohn Cochran Nicoll	Martin Van Buren	000000001839-05-11-0000May 11, 1839^[16]	000000001848-08-11-0000August 11, 1848	reassigned to subdivided districts of Georgia
Pendleton, NathanielNathaniel Pendleton	George Washington	000000001789-09-26-0000September 26, 1789	000000001796-09-01-0000September 1, 1796	resignation
Stephens, WilliamWilliam Stephens	Thomas Jefferson	000000001801-10-22-0000October 22, 1801^[17]	000000001818-10-13-0000October 13, 1818	resignation

Illinois

Map of the changing Districts of Illinois.

The United States District Court for the District of Illinois was established by a statute passed by the United States Congress on March 3, 1819, 3 Stat. 502.^[11]^[18] The act established a single office for a judge to preside over the court. Initially, the court was not within any existing judicial circuit, and appeals from the court were taken directly to the United States Supreme Court. In 1837, Congress created the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, placing it in Chicago, Illinois and giving it jurisdiction over the District of Illinois, 5 Stat. 176.^[18] The District itself was eliminated by a statute passed on February 13, 1855, 10 Stat. 606, under which it was subdivided into the Northern and the Southern Districts.^[18] The boundaries of the District and the seats of the courts were set forth in the statute:

The counties of Hancock, McDonough, Peoria, Woodford, Livingston, and Iroquois, and all the counties in the said State north of them, shall compose one district, to be called the northern district of Illinois, and courts shall be held for the said district at the city of Chicago; and the residue of the counties of the said State shall compose another district, to be called the southern district of Illinois, and courts shall be held for the same at the city of Springfield.

The district has since been re-organized several times. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois was created on March 3, 1905, by 33 Stat. 992,^[18] by splitting counties out of the Northern and Southern Districts. It was later eliminated in a reorganization on October 2, 1978, which replaced it with a Central District, 92 Stat. 883,^[18] also formed from parts of the Northern and Southern Districts.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Thomas Drummond	Zachary Taylor	000000001850-02-19-0000February 19, 1850	000000001855-02-13-0000February 13, 1855	reassigned to Northern District of Illinois
Nathaniel Pope	James Monroe	000000001819-03-03-0000March 3, 1819	000000001850-01-23-0000January 23, 1850	death

Indiana

The United States District Court for the District of Indiana was established on March 3, 1817, by 3 Stat. 390.^[19]^[20] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on April 21, 1928, by 45 Stat. 437.^[20] Of all district courts that have been subdivided, Indiana existed for the longest time as a single court, 111 years.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Anderson, Albert BarnesAlbert Barnes Anderson	Theodore Roosevelt	000000001902-12-08-0000December 8, 1902	000000001925-01-13-0000January 13, 1925	reappointment
Baker, John HarrisJohn Harris Baker	Benjamin Harrison	000000001892-03-29-0000March 29, 1892	000000001902-12-08-0000December 8, 1902	retirement
Baltzell, Robert C.Robert C. Baltzell	Calvin Coolidge	000000001925-01-13-0000January 13, 1925	000000001928-04-21-0000April 21, 1928	reassigned to Southern District of Indiana
Gresham, Walter Q.Walter Q. Gresham	Ulysses S. Grant	000000001869-09-01-0000September 1, 1869^[21]	000000001883-04-09-0000April 9, 1883	resignation
Holman, Jesse LynchJesse Lynch Holman	Andrew Jackson	000000001835-09-16-0000September 16, 1835^[22]	000000001842-03-14-0000March 14, 1842	death
Huntington, Elisha MillsElisha Mills Huntington	John Tyler	000000001842-05-02-0000May 2, 1842	000000001862-10-26-0000October 26, 1862	death
McDonald, DavidDavid McDonald	Abraham Lincoln	000000001864-12-13-0000December 13, 1864	000000001869-08-25-0000August 25, 1869	death
Parke, BenjaminBenjamin Parke	James Monroe	000000001817-03-06-0000March 6, 1817	000000001835-07-12-0000July 12, 1835	death
Slick, Thomas WhittenThomas Whitten Slick	Calvin Coolidge	000000001925-02-17-0000February 17, 1925	000000001928-04-21-0000April 21, 1928	reassigned to Northern District of Indiana
Smith, Caleb BloodCaleb Blood Smith	Abraham Lincoln	000000001862-12-22-0000December 22, 1862	000000001864-01-07-0000January 7, 1864	death
White, Albert SmithAlbert Smith White	Abraham Lincoln	000000001864-01-18-0000January 18, 1864	000000001864-09-04-0000September 4, 1864	death
Woods, William AllenWilliam Allen Woods	Chester A. Arthur	000000001883-05-02-0000May 2, 1883^[23]	000000001892-03-21-0000March 21, 1892	reappointment

Iowa

The United States District Court for the District of Iowa was established on March 3, 1845, by 5 Stat. 789.^[24]^[25] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on July 20, 1882, by 22 Stat. 172.^[25]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
John James Dyer	James K. Polk	000000001847-03-03-0000March 3, 1847	000000001855-09-14-0000September 14, 1855	death
James M. Love	Franklin Pierce	000000001855-10-05-0000October 5, 1855^[26]	000000001882-07-20-0000July 20, 1882	reassigned to Southern District of Iowa

Kentucky

The United States District Court for the District of Kentucky was part of one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[4]^[27] At the time, Kentucky was not yet a state, but was within the territory of the state of Virginia. The District was unchanged when Kentucky became a state on June 1, 1792. On February 13, 1801, the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89, abolished the U.S. district court in Kentucky,^[27] but the repeal of this Act restored the District on March 8, 1802, 2 Stat. 132.^[27] The District was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on February 12, 1901, by 31 Stat. 781.^[27]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Ballard, BlandBland Ballard	Abraham Lincoln	000000001861-10-16-0000October 16, 1861^[28]	000000001879-07-29-0000July 29, 1879	death
Barr, John WatsonJohn Watson Barr	Rutherford B. Hayes	000000001880-04-16-0000April 16, 1880	000000001899-02-21-0000February 21, 1899	retirement
Boyle, JohnJohn Boyle	John Quincy Adams	000000001826-10-20-0000October 20, 1826^[29]	000000001834-01-28-0000January 28, 1834	death
Evans, WalterWalter Evans	William McKinley	000000001899-03-03-0000March 3, 1899	000000001901-07-01-0000July 1, 1901	reassigned to Western District of Kentucky
Hays, William HerculesWilliam Hercules Hays	Rutherford B. Hayes	000000001879-09-06-0000September 6, 1879^[30]	000000001880-03-07-0000March 7, 1880	death
Innes, HarryHarry Innes	George Washington	000000001789-09-26-0000September 26, 1789	000000001816-09-20-0000September 20, 1816	death
Monroe, Thomas BellThomas Bell Monroe	Andrew Jackson	000000001834-03-08-0000March 8, 1834	000000001861-09-18-0000September 18, 1861	resignation
Trimble, RobertRobert Trimble	James Madison	000000001817-01-31-0000January 31, 1817	000000001826-05-09-0000May 9, 1826	reappointment

Louisiana

On March 26, 1804, Congress organized the Territory of Orleans and created the United States District Court for the District of Orleans – the only time Congress provided a territory with a district court equal in its authority and jurisdiction to those of the states.^[31] The United States District Court for the District of Louisiana was established on April 8, 1812, by 2 Stat. 701,^[19]^[31] several weeks before Louisiana was formally admitted as a state of the union. The District was thereafter subdivided and reformed several times. It was first subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on March 3, 1823, by 3 Stat. 774.^[19]^[31]

On February 13, 1845, Louisiana was reorganized into a single District with one judgeship, by 5 Stat. 722,^[31] but was again divided into Eastern and the Western Districts on March 3, 1849, by 9 Stat. 401.^[31] Congress again abolished the Western District of Louisiana and reorganized Louisiana as a single judicial district on July 27, 1866, by 14 Stat. 300.^[31] On March 3, 1881, by 21 Stat. 507, Louisiana was for a third time divided into Eastern and the Western Districts, with one judgeship authorized for each.^[31] The Middle District was formed from portions of those two Districts on December 18, 1971, by 85 Stat. 741.^[31]

During the course of its frequent subdivisions and reunifications, four judges served as judge of the District of Louisiana: Dominic Augustin Hall, (1812–1820), John Dick, (1821–1823), Theodore Howard McCaleb (1845–1849), and Edward Henry Durell (1866–1874).^[32] Hall was appointed to the District of Louisiana twice. He briefly resigned from the District Court to serve as a Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. He was shortly thereafter reappointed to the same seat on the District Court, which had remained vacant in his absence.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Dick, JohnJohn Dick	James Monroe	000000001821-03-02-0000March 2, 1821	000000001823-03-03-0000March 3, 1823	reassigned to both Districts of Louisiana
Durell, Edward HenryEdward Henry Durell	Abraham Lincoln	000000001863-05-20-0000May 20, 1863^[33]	000000001874-12-04-0000December 4, 1874	resignation
Hall, Dominic AugustinDominic Augustin Hall	James Madison	000000001812-06-01-0000June 1, 1812 May 29, 1813	000000001813-02-22-0000February 22, 1813 December 19, 1820	resignation death
McCaleb, Theodore HowardTheodore Howard McCaleb	John Tyler, Sr.	000000001841-09-03-0000September 3, 1841^[34]	000000001849-03-03-0000March 3, 1849	reassigned to both Districts of Louisiana

Michigan

The United States District Court for the District of Michigan was established on July 1, 1836, by 5 Stat. 61, with a single judgeship.^[35] The district court was not assigned to a judicial circuit, but was granted the same jurisdiction as United States circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Due to the so-called "Toledo War", a boundary dispute with Ohio, Michigan did not become a state of the Union until January 26, 1837. On March 3, 1837, Congress passed an act that repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Michigan, assigned the District of Michigan to the Seventh Circuit, and established a U.S. circuit court for the district, 5 Stat. 176.^[35]

On July 15, 1862, Congress reorganized the circuits and assigned Michigan to the Eighth Circuit by 12 Stat. 576,^[35] and on January 28, 1863, the Congress again reorganized Seventh and Eight Circuits and assigned Michigan to the Seventh Circuit, by 12 Stat. 637.^[35] On February 24, 1863, Congress divided the District of Michigan into the Eastern and the Western Districts, with one judgeship authorized for each district, by 12 Stat. 660.^[35]

Ross Wilkins was the only district judge to serve the District of Michigan. He was nominated by President Andrew Jackson on July 2, 1836, to the newly created seat, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 2, 1836. He received his commission on January 26, 1837. Upon termination of the District of Michigan, Wilkins was reassigned to the Eastern District of Michigan.^[35]^[36]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Ross Wilkins	Andrew Jackson	000000001837-01-26-0000January 26, 1837	000000001863-02-24-0000February 24, 1863	reassigned to Eastern District of Michigan

Mississippi

The United States District Court for the District of Mississippi was established on April 3, 1818, by 3 Stat. 413.^[1]^[37] It existed for over twenty years, and was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on June 18, 1838, by 5 Stat. 247:^[1]^[37]

The State of Mississippi, at the date of the act of March 3, 1837... constituted one district, in which the District Court was invested with the powers of a Circuit Court. By that act the extraordinary jurisdiction of the District Court was abrogated. But by the acts of June 18, 1838, and of February 16, 1839, the district of Mississippi was divided into two districts, the Northern and Southern; and by the latter act the powers of a Circuit Court were conferred on the District Court for the Northern District.^[38]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Adams, GeorgeGeorge Adams	Andrew Jackson	000000001836-01-20-0000January 20, 1836	000000001838-06-18-0000June 18, 1838	reassigned to both districts of Mississippi
Ellis, PowhatanPowhatan Ellis	Andrew Jackson	000000001832-07-14-0000July 14, 1832	000000001836-01-05-0000January 5, 1836	resignation
Randolph, PeterPeter Randolph	James Monroe	000000001823-06-25-0000June 25, 1823^[39]	000000001832-01-30-0000January 30, 1832	death
Shields, William BayardWilliam Bayard Shields	James Monroe	000000001818-04-20-0000April 20, 1818	000000001823-04-18-0000April 18, 1823	death

Missouri

The United States District Court for the District of Missouri was established on March 16, 1822, by 3 Stat. 653.^[11]^[40] However, an act of Congress passed in 1845 and upheld by the United States Supreme Court in 1851, extendeding federal admiralty jurisdiction to inland waterways, resulted in a substantial increase in the number of admiralty cases arising from traffic on the Mississippi River.^[41] These disputes involved "contracts of affreightment, collisions, mariners' wages, and other causes of admiralty jurisdiction", and litigants of matters arising in the port city of St. Louis found it inconvenient to travel far inland to Jefferson City for their cases to be tried.^[41] The District was therefore subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on March 3, 1857, by 11 Stat. 197.^[40]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
James H. Peck	James Monroe	000000001822-04-05-0000April 5, 1822	000000001836-04-29-0000April 29, 1836	death
Robert William Wells	Andrew Jackson	000000001836-06-27-0000June 27, 1836	000000001857-03-03-0000March 3, 1857	reassigned to Western District of Missouri

New Jersey

The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[42] The District was subdivided into the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New Jersey and the United States District Court for the Western District of New Jersey on February 13, 1801, by the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89,^[42] with the judicial districts being headquartered in New Brunswick and Burlington, respectively. The repeal of the 1801 Act on March 8, 1802, by 2 Stat. 132, restored New Jersey as a single judicial district.^[42] The only judge to serve on the briefly subdivided courts was Robert Morris, who had begun serving as a recess appointment to the District of New Jersey on August 28, 1790 and continued serving after the restoration of the single court, until June 2, 1815.^[43]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Robert Morris	George Washington	000000001790-08-28-0000August 28, 1790^[44]	000000001815-06-02-0000June 2, 1815	death

New York

The United States District Court for the District of New York was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[45]^[46] It existed for nearly twenty-five years before, on April 9, 1814, New York was divided into Northern and Southern Districts by 3 Stat. 120.^[45]^[46] These Districts were later further subdivided with the creation of Eastern District on February 25, 1865 by 13 Stat. 438,^[46] and the Western District on May 12, 1900, by 31 Stat. 175.^[46]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Duane, JamesJames Duane	George Washington	000000001789-09-26-0000September 26, 1789	000000001794-03-17-0000March 17, 1794	resignation
Laurance, JohnJohn Laurance	George Washington	000000001794-05-06-0000May 6, 1794	000000001796-11-08-0000November 8, 1796	resignation
Troup, RobertRobert Troup	George Washington	000000001796-12-10-0000December 10, 1796	000000001798-04-04-0000April 4, 1798	resignation
Hobart, John SlossJohn Sloss Hobart	John Adams	000000001798-04-12-0000April 12, 1798	000000001805-02-04-0000February 4, 1805	death
Tallmadge, Matthias BurnettMatthias Burnett Tallmadge	Thomas Jefferson	000000001805-06-12-0000June 12, 1805^[47]	000000001814-04-09-0000April 9, 1814	reassigned to Northern District of New York
Van Ness, William PeterWilliam Peter Van Ness	James Madison	000000001812-05-27-0000May 27, 1812	000000001814-04-09-0000April 9, 1814	reassigned to Southern District of New York

North Carolina

The United States District Court for the District of North Carolina has a unique history among defunct district courts. It was established on June 4, 1790, by 1 Stat. 126.^[48]^[49] On June 9, 1794 it was subdivided into three districts by 1 Stat. 395,^[49] but on March 3, 1797, the three districts were abolished and the single District restored by 1 Stat. 517,^[49] until April 29, 1802, when the state was again subdivided into three different districts by 2 Stat. 156.^[48]^[49]

In both instances, these districts, unlike those with geographic designations that existed in other states, were titled by the names of the cities in which the courts sat. After the first division, they were styled the District of Edenton, the District of New Bern, and the District of Wilmington; after the second division, they were styled the District of Albemarle, the District of Cape Fear, and the District of Pamptico. However, in both instances, only one judge was authorized to serve all three districts, causing them to effectively operate as a single district.^[49] The latter combination was occasionally referred to by the cumbersome title of the United States District Court for the Albemarle, Cape Fear & Pamptico Districts of North Carolina. Judge Henry Potter's 55 years of service on this court during the period in which the state contained a single district, from April 1802 to December 1857, represents one of the longest terms ever held by a United States federal judge.

On June 4, 1872, North Carolina was re-divided into two Districts, Eastern and Western, by 17 Stat. 215.^[49] The Middle District was created from portions of the Eastern and Western Districts on March 2, 1927, by 44 Stat. 1339.^[49]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Stokes, JohnJohn Stokes	George Washington	000000001790-08-03-0000August 3, 1790	000000001790-10-12-0000October 12, 1790	death
Sitgreaves, JohnJohn Sitgreaves	George Washington	000000001790-12-20-0000December 20, 1790	000000001802-03-04-0000March 4, 1802	death
Potter, HenryHenry Potter	Thomas Jefferson	000000001802-04-07-0000April 7, 1802	000000001857-12-20-0000December 20, 1857	death
Biggs, AsaAsa Biggs	James Buchanan	000000001858-05-03-0000May 3, 1858	000000001861-04-23-0000April 23, 1861	resignation; became a judge of Confederacy
Brooks, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Brooks	Andrew Johnson	000000001865-08-19-0000August 19, 1865^[50]	000000001872-06-04-0000June 4, 1872	reassigned to Eastern District of North Carolina

Ohio

The United States District Court for the District of Ohio was established on February 19, 1803, by 2 Stat. 201.^[19]^[51] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on February 10, 1855, by 10 Stat. 604.^[51]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Byrd, Charles WillingCharles Willing Byrd	Thomas Jefferson	000000001803-03-03-0000March 3, 1803	000000001828-08-25-0000August 25, 1828	death
Campbell, John WilsonJohn Wilson Campbell	Andrew Jackson	000000001829-03-07-0000March 7, 1829	000000001833-09-24-0000September 24, 1833	death
Creighton, Jr., WilliamWilliam Creighton, Jr.	John Quincy Adams	000000001828-11-01-0000November 1, 1828^[52]	000000001829-02-16-0000February 16, 1829	nomination rejected by the Senate
Tappan, BenjaminBenjamin Tappan	Andrew Jackson	000000001833-10-12-0000October 12, 1833^[53]	000000001834-05-29-0000May 29, 1834	nomination rejected by the Senate
Leavitt, Humphrey H.Humphrey H. Leavitt	Andrew Jackson	000000001834-06-30-0000June 30, 1834	000000001855-02-10-0000February 10, 1855	reassigned to Southern District of Ohio

Term start	Term end	United States Attorney^[54]
1802	1803	William McMillan^[55]
1803	1804	Michael Baldwin
1804	1810	William Creighton, Jr.
1810	1818	Samuel Herrick
1818	1823	John Crafts Wright
1823	1830	Joseph Benham
1830	1839	Noah Haynes Swayne
1839	1841	Israel Hamilton
1841	1846	Charles Anthony
1846	1850	Thomas W. Bartley
1850	1854	Samson Mason
1854	1855	Daniel O. Morton

Pennsylvania

The United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[56]^[57] It was subdivided on April 20, 1818, by 3 Stat. 462,^[56]^[57] into the Eastern and Western Districts, to be headquartered in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively.^[56] Portions of these districts were subsequently subdivided into the Middle District on March 2, 1901, by 31 Stat. 880.^[57]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Francis Hopkinson	George Washington	000000001789-09-26-0000September 26, 1789	000000001791-05-09-0000May 9, 1791	death
William Lewis	George Washington	000000001791-07-14-0000July 14, 1791^[58]	000000001792-01-04-0000January 4, 1792	resignation
Richard Peters, Jr.	George Washington	000000001792-01-12-0000January 12, 1792	000000001818-04-20-0000April 20, 1818	reassigned to Eastern District of Pennsylvania

South Carolina

The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[59] It was subdivided into the United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina and the United States District Court for the Western District of South Carolina Districts on February 21, 1823 by 3 Stat. 726.^[59] The Eastern District was headquartered at Florence,^[60] and the Western District was headquartered in Greenville.^[61] The division was solely for the purposes of holding court – a single judge presided over both districts, and the act authorized no additional court staff.^[59]

In 1898 the United States Supreme Court held in Barrett v. United States^[62] that South Carolina legally constituted a single judicial district. Congress made a more explicit effort to subdivide the District on March 3, 1911, by 36 Stat. 1087, 36 Stat. 1123. South Carolina was again Eastern and the Western Districts, with one judgeship authorized to serve both districts, effective January 1, 1912.^[59] Congress finally authorized an additional judgeship for the Western District, and assigned the sitting judge exclusively to the Eastern District, on March 3, 1915, by 38 Stat. 961.^[59] However, on October 7, 1965, by 79 Stat. 951, South Carolina was reorganized as a single judicial district with four judgeships authorized for the district court.^[59] It has since remained a single District.

Judges of both the Eastern and Western Districts of South Carolina:

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	Ended senior status	End reason
John Lyles Glenn, Jr.	Herbert Hoover	000000001929-04-29-0000April 29, 1929	000000001938-05-02-0000May 2, 1938	-	death
Robert W. Hemphill	Lyndon B. Johnson	000000001964-04-30-0000April 30, 1964	000000001965-11-01-0000November 1, 1965	-	reassigned to District of South Carolina
Alva M. Lumpkin	Franklin D. Roosevelt	000000001939-07-19-0000July 19, 1939	000000001941-07-22-0000July 22, 1941	-	resignation
James Robert Martin, Jr.	John F. Kennedy	000000001961-09-18-0000September 18, 1961	000000001965-11-01-0000November 1, 1965	-	reassigned to District of South Carolina
Henry Augustus Middleton Smith	William Howard Taft	000000001912-01-01-0000January 1, 1912^[63]	000000001923-11-23-0000November 23, 1923^[64]	000000001924-11-23-0000November 23, 1924	death
George Bell Timmerman, Sr.	Franklin D. Roosevelt	000000001942-01-23-0000January 23, 1942	000000001962-10-10-0000October 10, 1962	000000001966-04-22-0000April 22, 1966	death

Judges of only the Eastern District of South Carolina:

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	Ended senior status	End reason
Ernest Ford Cochran	Calvin Coolidge	000000001923-11-22-0000November 22, 1923^[65]	000000001934-03-04-0000March 4, 1934	-	death
Francis Kerschner Myers	Franklin D. Roosevelt	000000001934-06-14-0000June 14, 1934	000000001940-08-02-0000August 2, 1940	-	death
Charles Earl Simons, Jr.	Lyndon B. Johnson	000000001964-05-01-0000May 1, 1964	000000001965-11-01-0000November 1, 1965	-	reassigned to District of South Carolina
Julius Waties Waring	Franklin D. Roosevelt	000000001942-01-23-0000January 23, 1942	000000001952-02-15-0000February 15, 1952	000000001968-01-11-0000January 11, 1968	death
Ashton Hilliard Williams	Harry S. Truman	000000001952-07-03-0000July 3, 1952	000000001962-02-25-0000February 25, 1962	-	death

Judges of only the Western District of South Carolina:

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	Ended senior status	End reason
Joseph Travis Johnson	Woodrow Wilson	000000001915-11-09-0000November 9, 1915^[66]	000000001919-05-08-0000May 8, 1919	-	death
Henry Hitt Watkins	Woodrow Wilson	000000001919-07-22-0000July 22, 1919	000000001936-12-31-0000December 31, 1936	000000001947-09-08-0000September 8, 1947	death
Charles Cecil Wyche	Franklin D. Roosevelt	000000001937-01-30-0000January 30, 1937	000000001965-11-01-0000November 1, 1965	-	reassigned to District of South Carolina

Tennessee

The United States District Court for the District of Tennessee was established with one judgeship on January 31, 1797, by 1 Stat. 496.^[4]^[67] The judgeship was filled by President George Washington's appointment of John McNairy. Since Congress failed to assign the district to a circuit, the court had the jurisdiction of both a district court and a circuit court. Appeals from this one district court went directly to the United States Supreme Court.

On February 13, 1801, in the famous "Midnight Judges" Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89, Congress abolished the U.S. district court in Tennessee,^[67] and expanded the number of circuits to six, provided for independent circuit court judgeships, and abolished the necessity of Supreme Court Justices riding the circuits. It was this legislation which created the grandfather of the present Sixth Circuit. The act provided for a "Sixth Circuit" comprising two districts in the State of Tennessee, one district in the State of Kentucky and one district, called the Ohio District, composed of the Ohio and Indiana territories (the latter including the present State of Michigan). The new Sixth Circuit Court was to be held at "Bairdstown" in the District of Kentucky, at Knoxville in the District of East Tennessee, at Nashville in the District of West Tennessee, and at Cincinnati in the District of Ohio. Unlike the other circuits which were provided with three circuit judges, the Sixth Circuit was to have only one circuit judge with district judges from Kentucky and Tennessee comprising the rest of the court. Any two judges constituted a quorum. New circuit judgeships were to be created as district judgeships in Kentucky and Tennessee became vacant.^[68]

The repeal of this Act restored the District on March 8, 1802, 2 Stat. 132.^[67] The District was divided into the Eastern and Western Districts on April 29, 1802.^[4] On February 24, 1807, Congress again abolished the two districts and created the United States Circuit for the District of Tennessee. On March 3, 1837, Congress assigned the judicial district of Tennessee to the Eighth Circuit. On June 18, 1839, by 5 Stat. 313, Congress divided Tennessee into three districts, Eastern, Middle, and Western.^[4]^[38]^[67] Again, only one judgeship was allotted for all three districts. On July 15, 1862, Congress reassigned appellate jurisdiction to the Sixth Circuit. Finally, on June 14, 1878, Congress authorized a separate judgeship for each district of Tennessee.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
John McNairy	George Washington	000000001797-02-20-0000February 20, 1797	000000001802-04-29-0000April 29, 1802	reassigned to both Districts of Tennessee

Texas

The oldest federal civil building in Texas, the 1861 Customs and Courthouse in Galveston, once housed the Southern District of Texas.

The United States District Court for the District of Texas was established on December 29, 1845, by 9 Stat. 1. and based in Galveston, then the largest city in the state.^[24]^[69] John Charles Watrous, appointed to the court by President James K. Polk in May 1846, was the only federal judge to sit for the district.^[70] The District was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on February 21, 1857, by 11 Stat. 164.^[69] When the District was subdivided, Watrous continued as judge for the Eastern District only, while Thomas Howard DuVal^[71] was appointed to the Western District. Watrous continued serving in the Eastern District until 1870. From these Districts, Texas was further subdivided with the creation of a Northern District on February 24, 1879, by 20 Stat. 318.^[69] The new Southern District was created on March 11, 1902, by 32 Stat. 64.^[69]

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
John Charles Watrous	James K. Polk	000000001846-05-29-0000May 29, 1846	000000001857-02-21-0000February 21, 1857	reassigned to Eastern District of Texas

Virginia

The United States District Court for the District of Virginia was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.^[56]^[72]

On February 13, 1801, the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89, divided Virginia into three judicial districts: the District of Virginia, which included the counties west of the Tidewater and south of the Rappahannock River; the District of Norfolk, which included the Tidewater counties south of the Rappahannock; and the District of Potomac, which included the counties north and east of the Rappahannock as well as Maryland counties along the Potomac.^[72] Just over a year later, on March 8, 1802, the Judiciary Act of 1801 was repealed and Virginia became a single District again, 2 Stat. 132, effective July 1, 1802.^[72]

The District of Virginia was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on February 4, 1819, by 3 Stat. 478.^[56]^[72] At that time, West Virginia was still part of Virginia, and was encompassed in Virginia's Western District. With the division of West Virginia from Virginia during the American Civil War, the Western District of Virginia became the District of West Virginia, and those parts of the Western District that were not part of West Virginia were combined with the Eastern District to again form a single District of Virginia on June 11, 1864, by 13 Stat. 124.^[72] Congress again divided Virginia into Eastern and the Western Districts on February 3, 1871, by 16 Stat. 403.^[72]

#	Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
7000100000000000000♠1	Griffin, CyrusCyrus Griffin	Washington, GeorgeGeorge Washington	000000001789-11-28-0000November 28, 1789^[73]	000000001810-12-14-0000December 14, 1810	death
7000200000000000000♠2	Tyler, Sr., JohnJohn Tyler, Sr.	Madison, JamesJames Madison	000000001811-01-07-0000January 7, 1811	000000001813-01-06-0000January 6, 1813	death
7000300000000000000♠3	Tucker, St. GeorgeSt. George Tucker	Madison, JamesJames Madison	000000001813-01-19-0000January 19, 1813	000000001819-02-04-0000February 4, 1819	reassigned to the Eastern District of Virginia
7000400000000000000♠4	Underwood, John CurtissJohn Curtiss Underwood	Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln	000000001863-03-27-0000March 27, 1863^[74]	000000001871-02-03-0000February 3, 1871	reassigned to the Eastern District of Virginia

Washington

The United States District Court for the District of Washington was established on April 5, 1890, by 26 Stat. 45.^[75] The District was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on March 2, 1905, by 33 Stat. 824.^[75] Only one judge was ever appointed to the District of Washington.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Cornelius Holgate Hanford	Benjamin Harrison	000000001890-02-25-0000February 25, 1890	000000001905-03-02-0000March 2, 1905	reassigned to Western District of Washington

West Virginia

West Virginia split from the state of Virginia during the American Civil War. At that time, Virginia was already divided into an Eastern and Western District. Congress reorganized the Western District of Virginia to conform to the boundaries of the new state of West Virginia, renaming it the United States District Court for the District of West Virginia on June 11, 1864, by 13 Stat. 124.^[76] This District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on January 22, 1901, by 31 Stat. 736.^[76]

John Jay Jackson, Jr., who had been appointed by Abraham Lincoln to what was then the Western District of Virginia, became the first judge of the District of West Virginia. He remained the only judge on that court until its subdivision.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
John Jay Jackson, Jr.	Abraham Lincoln	000000001861-08-03-0000August 3, 1861	000000001901-07-01-0000July 1, 1901	reassigned to Northern District of West Virginia

Wisconsin

The United States District Court for the District of Wisconsin was established on May 29, 1848, by 9 Stat. 233.^[24]^[77] It was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on June 30, 1870, by 16 Stat. 171.^[77] Only one judge was ever appointed to the District of Wisconsin.

Judge	Appointed by	Began active service	Ended active service	End reason
Andrew G. Miller	James K. Polk	000000001848-06-12-0000June 12, 1848	000000001870-06-30-0000June 30, 1870	reassigned to Eastern District of Wisconsin

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 390.
1 2 3 U.S. District Courts of Alabama, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1864), p. 178.
1 2 3 4 5 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 391.
1 2 Lynn Foster, Their Pride and Ornament: Judge Benjamin Johnson and the Federal Courts in Early Arkansas, 22 U. Ark. Little Rock L. Rev. 21 (1999).
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Arkansas, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1864), p. 179.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 21, 1849, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 10, 1850, and received commission on June 10, 1850.
1 2 3 4 U.S. District Courts of California, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 3 4 5 Willoughby Rodman, History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California (1909), p. 46.
1 2 3 4 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 393.
1 2 3 U.S. District Courts of Florida, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 3 U.S. District Courts of Georgia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 21, 1796, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 27, 1796, and received commission on January 2, 1797.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 19, 1821, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 10, 1822, and received commission on January 10, 1822.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 23, 1840, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 17, 1840, and received commission on February 17, 1840.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 6, 1802, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 26, 1802, and received commission on January 26, 1802.
1 2 3 4 5 U.S. District Courts of Illinois, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 3 4 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 392.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Indiana, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1869, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 21, 1869, and received commission on December 21, 1869.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on March 21, 1836, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 29, 1836, and received commission on March 29, 1836.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 18, 1883, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 7, 1884, and received commission on January 7, 1884.
1 2 3 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 394.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Iowa, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 7, 1856, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 25, 1856, and received commission on December 21, 1856.
1 2 3 4 U.S. District Courts of Kentucky, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 9, 1861, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 1862, and received commission on January 22, 1862.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 13, 1826, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 12, 1827, and received commission on February 12, 1827.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 1, 1879, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 10, 1879, and received commission on December 10, 1879.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 U.S. District Courts of Louisiana, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Judges of the District of Louisiana, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 8, 1864, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 17, 1864, and received commission on February 17, 1864.
↑ McCaleb was originally appointed to the Eastern and Western Districts of Louisiana. When the state was reconsolidated into a single District of Louisiana, he became the judge for that district for the duration of its existence.
1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. District Courts of Michigan, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Judges of the District of Michigan, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Mississippi, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1842), p. 42.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1823, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 1823, and received commission on December 9, 1823.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Missouri, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 Broadhead, James O. (March 5, 1887). "Address of Col. J. O. Broadhead". In Bar Association of St. Louis. Proceedings of the Saint Louis bar on the retirement of Hon. Samuel Treat. St. Louis: Nixon-Jones printing co. pp. 10–17.
1 2 3 U.S. District Courts of New Jersey, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Robert Morris, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 17, 1790, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 20, 1790, and received commission on December 20, 1790.
1 2 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 386.
1 2 3 4 U.S. District Courts of New York, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 20, 1805, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 23, 1805, and received commission on January 17, 1806.
1 2 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 389.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 U.S. District Courts of North Carolina, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; Johnson appointed him on August 19, 1865. He was confirmed by the Senate on January 22, 1866, and received commission on January 22, 1866.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Ohio, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.
↑ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.
↑ "History of the U.S. Attorney Southern District of Ohio". United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Ohio. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
↑ did not serve due to illness
1 2 3 4 5 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 388.
1 2 3 U.S. District Courts of Pennsylvania, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on October 31, 1791, confirmed by the United States Senate on November 7, 1791, and received commission on November 7, 1791.
1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. District Courts of South Carolina, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ The Florence, South Carolina courthouse, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ The Greenville, South Carolina courthouse, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Barrett v. United States, 169 U.S. 219 (1898).
↑ Smith had been appointed to the District of South Carolina on June 7, 1911, prior to its 1912 subdivision.
↑ Smith was reassigned to only the Eastern District of South Carolina on March 3, 1915.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1923, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 17, 1924, and received commission on January 21, 1924.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 4, 1916, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 24, 1916, and received commission on January 24, 1916.
1 2 3 4 U.S. District Courts of Tennessee, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ The Honorable Harry Phillips, "History of the Sixth Circuit".
1 2 3 4 U.S. District Courts of Texas, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Biography of John Charles Watrous, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Biography of Thomas Howard DuVal, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. District Courts of Virginia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 8, 1790, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 10, 1790, and received commission on February 10, 1790.
↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1864, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 25, 1864, and received commission on January 25, 1864.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Washington, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of West Virginia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
1 2 U.S. District Courts of Wisconsin, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.

United States district and territorial courts

List of United States district and territorial courts



District Courts	Alabama (N, M, S) Alaska Arizona Arkansas (E, W) California (C, E, N, S) Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida (N, M, S) Georgia (N, M, S) Hawaii Idaho Illinois (N, C, S) Indiana (N, S) Iowa (N, S) Kansas Kentucky (E, W) Louisiana (E, M, W) Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan (E, W) Minnesota Mississippi (N, S) Missouri (E, W) Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York (E, N, S, W) North Carolina (E, M, W) North Dakota Ohio (N, S) Oklahoma (E, N, W) Oregon Pennsylvania (E, M, W) Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee (E, M, W) Texas (E, N, S, W) Utah Vermont Virginia (E, W) Washington (E, W) West Virginia (N, S) Wisconsin (E, W) Wyoming

Territorial courts	Guam Northern Mariana Islands Virgin Islands

Extinct courts	Former United States district courts United States District Court for the District of Orleans District of Potomac Eastern District of Illinois District of the Canal Zone District of China

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