James Davenport is an experienced natural resource lawyer now residing in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. His public policy perspective derives from more than 40 years advising states, counties and private parties competing to secure natural resource amenities or resist environmental harm.

“Robust and intriguing…recommended”—Choice

• Table of ContentsPrologue: Of Water, Men and the LawPart I. The Times1. The Nation Moves West (1830–1880)2. Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism (1859–1938)3. Economic Fortunes and Misfortunes (1860–1875)4. The Prior Appropriation Doctrine (1840s–Present)5. Equitable Apportionment (1902–Present)6. Interstate Compacts (1922–Present)Part II. The ManWillis the Lawyer (1812–1894)7. Young Willis Van Devanter8. Cincinnatus (1833–1885)9. Watching the Court (1870s, 1880s)10. Willis Goes West (1883)11. The Warren Machine (1884–1890)12. Willis and the “Johnson County War” (1890–1892)13. Banditti of the Plains (1893–1896)Willis the Politician/Bureaucrat14. Willis’ Wyoming Politics Go National (1892–1896)15. Cleveland’s Second Chance, Senator Warren and the McKinley Administration (1895–1897)16. Assistant Attorney General Van Devanter (1897–1903)Willis the Judge17. Van Devanter’s Eighth Circuit Decisions (1903–1911)18. Reasonable Rail Rates, the Sherman Act (1890–1911)19. The Supreme Court Turns White (1908–1911)20. The Sherman Act at the Supreme Court21. “Good Fellows” Willis and William (1921–1922)Part III. The Laramie River Litigation22. Wyoming v. Colorado (1903–1913)23. Who Controls the Water? (1902–1917)24. Development Under the Reclamation Act and Return to Court (1905–1922)25. Judicial Harmony (1922)26. Natural Resource or Interstate Commerce? (1921–1923)27. Van Devanter’s Surreptitious Composition of the Opinion and Decree (1922)28. Wyoming v. Colorado, Final Opinion Published (1922)29. Where Was the Balance of the Court on June 5, 1922? (1922)30. The Decree and Holding of Wyoming v. ColoradoPart IV. Implications for Water Law31. What of the Merits of Wyoming v. Colorado?32. What of the Effect of the Decision in Wyoming v. Colorado?33. The Case for RecusalPart V. Willis Van Devanter’s Justice34. Van Devanter’s Indian Cases (1897–1921)35. Van Devanter’s Income Tax Cases (1920–1925)36. The Four Horsemen37. The Measure of a Justice38. FinisEpilogue: That Was Then, This Is NowChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

James Davenport is an experienced natural resource lawyer now residing in Washington State’s Yakima Valley. His public policy perspective derives from more than 40 years advising states, counties and private parties competing to secure natural resource amenities or resist environmental harm.

“Robust and intriguing…recommended”—Choice

• Table of ContentsPrologue: Of Water, Men and the LawPart I. The Times1. The Nation Moves West (1830–1880)2. Herbert Spencer and Social Darwinism (1859–1938)3. Economic Fortunes and Misfortunes (1860–1875)4. The Prior Appropriation Doctrine (1840s–Present)5. Equitable Apportionment (1902–Present)6. Interstate Compacts (1922–Present)Part II. The ManWillis the Lawyer (1812–1894)7. Young Willis Van Devanter8. Cincinnatus (1833–1885)9. Watching the Court (1870s, 1880s)10. Willis Goes West (1883)11. The Warren Machine (1884–1890)12. Willis and the “Johnson County War” (1890–1892)13. Banditti of the Plains (1893–1896)Willis the Politician/Bureaucrat14. Willis’ Wyoming Politics Go National (1892–1896)15. Cleveland’s Second Chance, Senator Warren and the McKinley Administration (1895–1897)16. Assistant Attorney General Van Devanter (1897–1903)Willis the Judge17. Van Devanter’s Eighth Circuit Decisions (1903–1911)18. Reasonable Rail Rates, the Sherman Act (1890–1911)19. The Supreme Court Turns White (1908–1911)20. The Sherman Act at the Supreme Court21. “Good Fellows” Willis and William (1921–1922)Part III. The Laramie River Litigation22. Wyoming v. Colorado (1903–1913)23. Who Controls the Water? (1902–1917)24. Development Under the Reclamation Act and Return to Court (1905–1922)25. Judicial Harmony (1922)26. Natural Resource or Interstate Commerce? (1921–1923)27. Van Devanter’s Surreptitious Composition of the Opinion and Decree (1922)28. Wyoming v. Colorado, Final Opinion Published (1922)29. Where Was the Balance of the Court on June 5, 1922? (1922)30. The Decree and Holding of Wyoming v. ColoradoPart IV. Implications for Water Law31. What of the Merits of Wyoming v. Colorado?32. What of the Effect of the Decision in Wyoming v. Colorado?33. The Case for RecusalPart V. Willis Van Devanter’s Justice34. Van Devanter’s Indian Cases (1897–1921)35. Van Devanter’s Income Tax Cases (1920–1925)36. The Four Horsemen37. The Measure of a Justice38. FinisEpilogue: That Was Then, This Is NowChapter NotesBibliographyIndex