Stephen W. Downey | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWyoming Territory'sat-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 (Delegate) | |
| Preceded by | William Wellington Corlett |
| Succeeded by | Morton Everel Post |
| Member of theWyoming House of Representatives | |
| In office 1893 1895 | |
| Wyoming Territory Auditor | |
| In office December 17, 1877 – March 3, 1879 | |
| Preceded by | Orlando North |
| Succeeded by | James France |
| Wyoming Territory Treasurer | |
| In office October 26, 1872 – December 11, 1875 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Donnellan |
| Succeeded by | Amasa R. Converse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1839-07-25)July 25, 1839 |
| Died | August 3, 1902(1902-08-03) (aged 63) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Fannie Fisher. Fannie (died 1870) Evangeline Victoria Owen (died 1937) |
| Children | 12 (includingSheridan Downey andDr. June Etta Downey |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States ArmyUnion Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1862 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | 3rd Maryland Infantry, Potomac Home Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Civil War |
Stephen Wheeler Downey (July 25, 1839 – August 3, 1902) was alawyer andpolitician inWyoming. AUnion Army veteran of theAmerican Civil War, he was an early white settler of Wyoming, and served as its treasurer, auditor, and delegate to Congress. After statehood, Downey continued to serve in local and state office, includingSpeaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives.
Downey was a founder of theUniversity of Wyoming, and the longtime president of its board of trustees.
Downey was born inWesternport, Maryland on July 25, 1839, a son of Owen Dorsey Downey and Elizabeth L. (Powell) Downey.[1] He was educated locally, andstudied law withFrancis Thomas ofCumberland, Maryland in preparation for a career as an attorney.[2]
On 31 October 1861, Downey enlisted in theUnion Army for theAmerican Civil War, joining3rd Maryland Infantry Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade as aprivate.[3] He was promoted tofirst lieutenant in January 1862,lieutenant colonel in March 1862, andcolonel in September 1862.[4] In March 1862, Downey was in command of Union troops inRomney, Virginia (nowWest Virginia).[3] By May his regiment was serving as part ofChristopher C. Augur Division,Nathaniel P. Banks'Army Corps.[3]
When theMaryland campaign began in early September 1862, Downey commanded the post atKearneysville, Virginia (then West Virginia).[3] On September 10, he was in command of a reconnaissance patrol from the1st Maryland Cavalry Battalion, Potomac Home Brigade.[3] NearBoonsboro, Maryland, Downey's patrol encounteredConfederate commanderStonewall Jackson and his staff riding in advance of their troops on the Sharpsburg Road.[3] Jackson fled, his escort skirmished with Downey's troops, and Downey was wounded.[3]
Downey and his command were captured with the Union garrison at theBattle of Harpers Ferry on September 15.[3] As a result of his wounds, Downey was discharged from the army in November 1862.[3]
After leaving the army, Downey attainedadmission to the bar and established a law practice inWashington, D.C.[4] In 1869, he moved to theTerritory of Wyoming and established a law practice inLaramie.[2] ARepublican, Downey served as theprosecuting attorney ofAlbany County, Wyoming in 1869 and 1870.[4] He also opened asurvey office in Laramie and was assigned to six government survey contracts between 1870 and 1873.[4] He served as a member of theWyoming Territorial Council in1871, 1875, and 1877.[4] Downey wasterritorial treasurer 1872 to 1875, andterritorial auditor from 1877 to 1879.[4]
In 1878, Downey was elected as Wyoming'sDelegate to theUnited States House of Representatives.[4] He served one term, March 4, 1879 to March 3, 1881, and did not run for another term in 1880.[4]
During his congressional term, Downey earned nationwide headlines after he proposed legislation that would have declared the United States to be "a Christian people" and appropriated $500,000 (about $14.5 million in 2022) to create and install Christian-themed paintings and other artwork in federal buildings.[5] Press coverage of Downey's unsuccessful bill began after he obtained permission to have printed in the record his remarks in favor of his proposed law, which was revealed to be a 15 pageprose poem,Argument of Hon. Stephen W. Downey.[5] After realizing Downey's text was copyrighted, Republican floor leaderJames A. Garfield persuaded a majority of the House that the body's rules prohibited printing copyrighted works, and they voted against allowing Downey's poem into the record.[5]
After leaving Congress, Downey resumed practicing law in Laramie.[4] He served in the territorial House of Representatives in 1886 and 1890, was a member of thestate constitutional convention in 1889.[4] In 1886, Downey sponsored the bill that created theUniversity of Wyoming and became known as "The Father of the University of Wyoming".[4] From 1891 to 1897 he was a universitytrustee member, and he was the longtime president of the board of trustees.[4]
Wyoming achieved statehood in 1890, and Downey was a member of theWyoming House of Representatives in 1893 and 1895.[4] In 1895, he served as chair of the Judiciary Committee andSpeaker pro tempore.[4][6] From 1897 until his death he served as prosecuting attorney forAlbany County.[2] Downey died inDenver, Colorado on August 14, 1902.[4] He was buried at Greenhill Cemetery in Laramie.[4]
Downey had two daughters with his first wife, Fannie Fisher who died in 1870, not long after the family moved toLaramie, Wyoming.[7][8]
Downey married Evangeline Victoria Owen (1853–1937) inLaramie, Wyoming in 1872 and they had ten children.[2] His son,Sheridan Downey (1884–1961), became a lawyer andUnited States Senator fromCalifornia. His daughter,Dr. June Etta Downey (1875–1932), became a prominentpsychologist, and a professor ofpsychology andphilosophy at theUniversity of Wyoming.[9]
The Downey Family Papers (1866–1997) are located at theUniversity of Wyoming's American Heritage Center Archives.[10]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Delegate fromWyoming Territory's at-large congressional district March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 | Succeeded by |
| Territorial (1869–1890) |  | |
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| Oneat-large seat (1890–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
