Background
John S. Stevens was born in Bath, New Hampshire on September 16, 1838, the son of Joshua and Abigail (Walker) Stevens.
John S. Stevens was born in Bath, New Hampshire on September 16, 1838, the son of Joshua and Abigail (Walker) Stevens.
He enrolled in Dartmouth College in 1858 and graduated in 1862.
He and his family moved to Hardwick, Vermont in 1849. After college, Stevens moved to Peoria, Illinois, where he worked as a schoolteacher for two years. He then read law with lawyer Alexander McCoy.
He was admitted to the bar of Illinois in June 1865.
Stevens and McCoy formed a partnership, McCoy & Stevens, which lasted until 1870 when McCoy moved to Chicago. Walter South. Horton later joined the firm, which became known as Stevens, Lee & Horton.
After the death of Lee, William T. Abbott joined the firm, which was renamed Stevens, Horton & Abbott. In June 1868, Stevens married Sarah M. Bartlett.
Stevens was active in the Illinois State Bar Association, serving as its president 1901–1902.