Albert H. Cornwell Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 302-303

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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HON. ALBERT H. CORNWELL, who dates his Dakota pioneering from May, 
1879, is a resident of section 9 in Berlin township, Clark county. Here 
he has a pleasant home and is the fortunate possessor of eight hundred 
acres of land in Clark county, and is considered one of the most 
extensive farmers of that county. He is a gentleman of advanced ideas, 
has fully improved his property and makes use of modern machinery and 
methods in the labors incident to the life of an agriculturist. 

Our subject is a native of Olmstead county, Minnesota, and was born 
January 20, 1856. He was the oldest in a family of three children born 
to John and Helen (Leets) Cornwell. His early life was passed on a farm 
and he attended the Rochester select school, and upon the completion of 
his schooling he became an instructor in the public schools of 
Minnesota. He located land in what is now Kingsbury county, South 
Dakota, in 1879, then known as Wood county. That farm, which he still 
owns, is a tree claim near the center of the county, on the south bank 
of Silver lake, and is about a half-mile from the town of De Smet. The 
property is considered now to be the finest tree claim in Kingsbury 
county. Our subject became a resident of Clark county in 1882, and the 
fine estate which he now occupies is the result of his labors in that 
locality. 

Mr. Cornwell was married in 1884 to Miss Venia Garland, a native of 
Wisconsin. Their family consists of one daughter, upon whom they have 
bestowed the name of Madge. Our subject is popular in secret society 
circles, and holds membership in the Knights of Pythias, and auxiliary 
lodge D. O. K. K., the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and its 
auxiliary the D. of H. In political faith he is a Populist, and has 
always favored prohibition. He was a delegate to the memorable Huron 
convention, when the Populist party was organized, since which time he 
has staunchly supported the new party. He was elected state 
representative in 1890, and declined renomination. He was again elected 
in 1898 to that important commission, and was the fusionist nominee for 
the speakership, and was the leader of the fusion forces during the 
session. He is known throughout the state, and is a familiar personage 
in Kingsbury and Clark counties, where his life since settling in 
Dakota has been spent. He is a gentleman of much force, a logical 
thinker, convincing speaker, and a leader of men. His ideas are 
progressive, and his pleasing personality makes every man his friend. 
He is possessed of good business qualifications; and, by careful 
attention to the various details of his work, has built extensive 
interests, and gained for himself a competence which he can enjoy in 
his declining years. It is few of the "Seventy-Niners" of Dakota who 
have stayed to prosper, after having undergone the struggles of those 
early days; and to those who have remained the country should be 
grateful for the labors spent.