05/05/2026
Irving R. Devendorf (b. November 2, 1856, Danube, Herkimer County, NY) was a respected New York Supreme Court justice from a long-established Mohawk Valley family with deep Revolutionary War roots, including service at the Battle of Oriskany. He was educated in local schools and graduated from Little Falls Academy in 1877, then studied law under George W. Smith and Joshua A. Steele. Admitted to the bar in 1880, he practiced in Herkimer.
He served as Herkimer County district attorney (1889–1894), gaining a reputation for fairness and diligence, and then as county judge and surrogate from 1895 to 1905. On January 1, 1906, he became a justice of the New York Supreme Court, elected as a Republican and reelected in 1919 with broad bipartisan support.
Devendorf is best remembered for presiding over the 1905 murder trial of Chester Gillette, one of the most famous criminal cases of its time. The trial, held in Herkimer County, drew national attention and later inspired Theodore Dreiser’s novel An American Tragedy. Devendorf’s handling of the proceedings further solidified his reputation as a careful and impartial jurist.
Beyond the bench, he was active in World War I Liberty Loan drives and supported the American Red Cross. He was also involved in numerous civic, historical, and fraternal organizations and served for many years as a trustee of the Universalist Church.
In 1882, he married Margaret Bellinger. They had two children: Dr. Frederick C. Devendorf, a physician and ship surgeon, and Marion, who married George L. Porter.
https://www.schenectadyhistory.org/
