Clatsop-Washington County OR Archives Biographies.....Cornelius, Hon Thomas S. August 13, 1854 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 31, 2010, 10:33 am

Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 336 - 338
Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

     HON. THOMAS S. CORNELIUS,  who has worthily occupied the bench of the 
county court of Clatsop county for the past fourteen years, is one of 
Astoria's best known and most highly respected citizens. His discharge of 
official duties has been marked by a high sense of justice and by close regard 
for the public welfare, and he has richly earned the enviable place which he 
holds in the esteem of his fellowmen. Mr. Cornelius was born on his father's 
donation claim near North Plains, Washington county, Oregon, on the 13th of 
August, 1854, and is a son of Colonel Thomas R. and Florentine (Wilks) 
Cornelius. His paternal grandfather, Benjamin Cornelius, was a native of 
Kentucky and moved to Jasper county, Missouri, in 1812. In 1845 he left 
Independence, that state, joining a train of two hundred and fifty persons, 
organized under the captaincy of Lawrence Hall, thirty wagons being used to 
convey the party. He was accompanied by his wife and ten children, and, 
leaving Independence on April 2, 1845, proceeded to Fort Hall, Idaho. Before 
reaching Fort Boise they fell in with Captain Tetheroe's company of thirty-six 
wagons and thus journeyed on to Malheur, where, following the advice of 
Stephen Meek, who had devoted his time to trapping between the Rocky mountains 
and the Pacific ocean, they departed from the regular course, going by the 
route which has since become known in history as Meek's cut-off. The trapper 
declared the route to be much shorter and also assured them that it led 
through a beautiful country, where grass and fresh water were plentiful. He 
seemed so familiar with the route that a portion of the number determined to 
follow him, thinking to shorten the journey. Among these was the Cornelius 
family. They struck off south of the Blue mountains, expecting soon to reach 
The Dalles. It was not long, however, before it became apparent that the 
leader knew nothing of the country. Nevertheless they pressed on, but within a 
fortnight they found themselves in a dry and barren region. Their supplies 
were fast becoming exhausted and sickness now broke out among the number, 
carrying off many of the party. After awhile they had a funeral at every camp, 
and then over the newly-made graves campfires were started, and later the 
wagons and teams were driven over them so that the Indians might not know the 
resting places of their dead. Their cattle had to be sacrificed for food, but 
at length, through an advance party, relief was brought to them from The 
Dalles. Eventually they reached the head of navigation of the Columbia river, 
but death had marked their route all along the way. From that point they 
proceeded to the Willamette valley and the Cornelius family settled on what 
subsequently became known as the Cornelius plains, in Washington county. There 
were ten children in the family, several of whom had already reached adult 
age, and all preempted land. Thus the Cornelius family became the owners of a 
very extensive tract in that vicinity.

     The family included Thomas R. Cornelius, who was born in Howard county, 
Missouri, November 15, 1827. He accompanied his father on the migration to 
Oregon and lived at home for three years. On attaining his majority he took up 
a claim near his father's place, and owned it for over fifty years. In 1846, 
on receipt of news of the Whitman massacre, he enlisted as a private in the 
Oregon company, furnishing his own horse and equipment, and took an active 
part in the Indian war, participating in five battles. For his valor, he was 
promoted to first sergeant. In 1848 he joined the rush to the gold fields of 
California and was successful in his mining operations, frequently panning out 
gold to the value of three hundred dollars a day. After one year in the mines, 
Mr. Cornelius returned to Oregon and in the following year was married to Miss 
Florentine Wilks, who had come across the plains with her family, in the same 
emigrant train as the Cornelius family. On the outbreak of the Rogue River 
Indian war, in 1855, Mr. Cornelius enlisted and was made captain of Company D, 
Washington county volunteers. This command fought in several engagements with 
the red men, during which Captain Cornelius made a splendid record and, on the 
resignation of Colonel Nesmith, Captain Cornelius was chosen colonel of the 
regiment. His commission, which he received in the following February, was 
accompanied by orders to make ready for a campaign against the Indians in the 
Snake river and Palouse country. They started for the scene of hostilities on 
March 1, 1855, and fought several decisive engagements with the Indians. At 
the close of the campaign, Colonel Cornelius returned to his farm in 
Washington county, and in 1856 was chosen to represent Washington county in 
the territorial legislature, being elected on the republican ticket. To the 
discharge of the duties of this position he gave the same capable attention 
that had marked his previous military career, and so eminently satisfactory 
was his service that he was reelected each succeeding term for twenty years, 
during which period he was twice elected president of the senate. When the 
North and the South became involved in civil strife, Colonel Cornelius was 
commissioned by President Lincoln to raise a company of volunteer cavalry in 
Oregon, and was ordered to report to the adjutant-general in Washington, D. C. 
This he did, expecting to join Colonel Baker at the front. Colonel Baker was 
killed in the engagement at Ball's Bluff and, as all of the regular army 
officers had been recalled from Oregon, Colonel Cornelius was assigned to 
service on the coast, his principal duty being to keep the Indians under 
subjection. In 1862, while stationed at Walla Walla, the Colonel resigned from 
the army and returned to his farm. In 1870 he built a large grain warehouse at 
Cornelius and bought and shipped large quantities of grain. He also built a 
sawmill near Cornelius, which had a capacity of twenty-five thousand feet of 
lumber a day, a good sized mill for that period, which he ran successfully for 
many years and then moved it to a new location, fifteen miles southeast of 
Forest Grove, where he sawed millions of feet of lumber. In 1871 he became 
interested with Ben Holliday in the building of the railroad from Portland to 
St. Joe, Yamhill county, his chief duty being to secure the right of way. He 
platted the town of Cornelius and lived there until his death, which occurred 
June 24, 1899. He was essentially public-spirited and everything pertaining to 
the progress and development of his community or county enlisted his earnest 
support, so that he was an important factor in the local affairs of his day. 
Colonel Cornelius's first wife died in 1864 and in 1866 he was married to Miss 
Missouri Smith, who was a native of Illinois and a daughter of Rev. William E. 
Smith, a minister of the Methodist church. Mrs. Cornelius survives her husband 
and is still living at Cornelius.

     Florentine (Wilks) Cornelius was a daughter of Peyton and Anna (Dalles) 
Wilks. Her father was born in Bedford county, Virginia, on the 15th of July, 
1791, and fought in the War of 1812, after which he became a tanner by trade. 
He was married in 1815, and in 1829 moved to Indiana, locating in Hendricks 
county, where he acquired a tract of land, which he cleared and developed into 
a good farm. In 1839 he moved to Missouri, which was his home until 1845, when 
he crossed the plains, with ox teams and covered wagons, to Oregon. The 
journey was marked by many hardships, the party running short of food, and one 
of his sons died on the way. Late in the fall they arrived at their 
destination and Mr. Wilks took a donation land claim on Gales creek, in 
Washington county, where he devoted the remaining years of his life to 
farming, his death occurring there at the age of ninety-seven years. His wife 
died two years previously, at the age of ninety-eight years.

     Thomas S. Cornelius received his educational training in the public 
schools and Forest Grove Academy, after which, for a few years, he was 
associated with his father in a mercantile business at Cornelius. He spent a 
year in California and on his return north settled in Klickitat county, 
Washington, where he engaged in the livestock business, raising horses 
principally. After four years he sold out and returned to Washington county, 
Oregon, where he worked in his father's store for a time and then bought a 
farm where now stands the town of North Plains. After operating that place for 
two years, he leased it and moved to Astoria, where he opened a grocery and 
butcher shop, which he ran for several years, after which he bought a farm on 
Youngs river, two miles from Astoria. In 1902 Mr. Cornelius was elected county 
assessor of Clatsop county, in which office he served for ten years, during 
which period he also supervised the operation of his farm. To Mr. Cornelius 
belongs the distinction of being the first assessor in the state of Oregon to 
cruise the timber holdings in his jurisdiction and assess them for state and 
county taxes, previous to which time the timber owners had paid no taxes on 
their holdings. On retiring from the assessor's office he devoted his 
attention to his farm for two years and then, in 1914, was elected to the 
bench of the county court of Clatsop county, in which position he has, by 
successive reelections, served continuously since, his record gaining for him 
the reputation of being one of the best county judges the county has ever had. 
It is the Judge's intention to retire from the bench at the close of his 
present term. He is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and eighty acres 
of rich bottom land, near Astoria, on which he raises abundant hay and root 
crops and maintains a large dairy herd of Guernsey cows. He is a director of 
the Astoria Savings Bank.

     On the 8th of October, 1882, Judge Cornelius was united in marriage to 
Miss Ruth A. Scofield, a native of Washington county, Oregon, and a daughter 
of Benjamin and Sarah Scofield, both of whom are deceased. Her father brought 
his family to this state about 1850 and bought a farm in Washington county, on 
which he and his wife spent their remaining years. To Judge and Mrs. Cornelius 
have been born eight children, of whom three are living, namely: Byron S., of 
Portland; Mrs. Vera Soverpool, of San Jose, California, who has a son, Melvin 
C.; and Frances L., who graduated in nursing from St. Mary's Hospital in 
Astoria. Judge Cornelius is a member of Temple Lodge, No. 7, A. F. & A. M. He 
gives his political support to the republican party and has always shown a 
helpful interest in public affairs. He was the first county judge in Oregon to 
incorporate all of the road districts in the county outside of the 
incorporated cities into one district, and in many ways his administration of 
the affairs of his court has been of marked benefit to the county. A man of 
sterling character, unimpeachable integrity and high sense of duty, he has 
filled the office in a manner that won for him the unqualified approval and 
the uniform respect of his fellowmen. 

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/clatsop/bios/corneliu1084gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/

File size: 11.8 Kb