Willamette Iron Bridge Co. v. Hatch’s Empirical Analysis
125 U.S. 1 · 1888
Citation profile
95 federal appellate · 36 district · 37 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 328 later decisions (61 by the Supreme Court) — most recently May 2020 · most notably Southern Pacific Co. v. Jensen (1917), Simpson v. Shepard (1913)
95 federal appellate · 36 district · 37 state decisions — followed in 17 states
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on John Pollard et al. v. John Hagan et al. · Gilman v. Philadelphia · Escanaba Lake Michigan Transp Co v. City of Chicago · Thompson Willson v. The Black Bird Creek Marsh Company
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 328 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“which prohibits obstructions and nuisances in navigable rivers.”
7 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority““And although, until Congress acts, the states have the plenary power supposed, yet, when Congress chooses to act, it is not concluded by anything that the states or that individuals by its authority or acquiescence have done, from assuming entire control of the matter, and abating any erections that may have been made, and preventing any others from being made, except in conformity with such regulations as it may impose. It is for this reason, namely, the ultimate (though yet unexerted) power of Congress over the whole subject-matter, that the consent of Congress is so frequently asked to the erection of bridges over navigable streams.””
3 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“the navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be common highways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory as to the citizens of the United States and those of any other States that may be admitted into the Confederacy, without any tax, impost or duty therefor.”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.