Today in Supreme Court History: July 7, 1893

7/7/1893: Justice Samuel Blatchford dies.

Justice Samuel Blatchford

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[CJColucci]

From Wikipedia:

Blatchford thus became the first person to serve at all three levels of the federal judiciary—as a District Judge, a Circuit Judge, and a Supreme Court Justice. When he was nominated for the Supreme Court, it was estimated that his personal wealth exceeded $3 million (over $90 million in 2025), mostly held in real estate.

He preserved a great part of that wealth by selling much of his stock holdings, apparently on what he thought was inside information, just before the attack on Fort Sumter.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Steve Vladeck's trivia segment today addresses the four justices (including Whittaker and two justices now sitting) that served serve at all three levels of the federal judiciary.

https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/165-tiktok-and-the-dispensing-power

Oyez.com's profile of Samuel Blatchford states he was a "workhorse." Wikipedia notes he wrote 430 opinions and two dissents. Productive mediocrity has its value.