Lyons left his family to travel to California during the Gold Rush , ultimately settling in the Sonora area . In 1849 , he ran for State Senate . In 1849 , he sought a seat on the newly formed state Supreme Court . An experienced attorney , he came in second for the votes by the state Senate for the California Supreme Court ( behind Justice Serranus Clinton Hastings ) . Hastings had a two-year term ending in 1852 , and Lyons then took over as Chief Justice . Lyons resigned as Chief on March 31 , 1852 , after serving only three months . Lyons wrote a total of eleven opinions during his term on the Court : nine as an associate justice and two as Chief . After his term , Lyons remained active in politics but did not return to practicing law . Instead , he focused on his business interests in San Francisco and mining ventures . In June 1852 , Lyons served as a delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention held in Baltimore , Maryland
Democratic National Convention
1852 Democratic National Convention
Henry A. Lyons