Thomas R. Cornelius

Infobox Politician
name = Thomas R. Cornelius


imagesize = 175px
caption =
office = Member of the Oregon Territory Council
termstart = 1856
termend = 1858
constituency = Washington, Multnomah, & Columbia counties
nominator =
appointer =
predecessor = A. P. Dennison
successor = position dissolved
office2 = Member of the Oregon State Senate
constituency2 = Washington, Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook
termstart2 = 1859
termend2 = 1876 (except 1862)
nominator2 =
appointer2 =
predecessor2 = position created
successor2 = A. B. Wait
office3 = President of the Oregon State Senate
constituency3 = Oregon
termstart3 = 1866
termend3 = 1867
predecessor3 = John H. Mitchell
successor3 = B. F. Burch
birthdate = November 16 1827
birthplace = Missouri
deathdate = June 24 1899
deathplace = Oregon
party = Whig, Republican
spouse = Florentine Wilkes (m. 1849)
Missouri Smith (m. 1866)

Thomas R. Cornelius (1827-1899) was an American politician and soldier in Oregon. The Missouri born Thomas fought in the Cayuse War and Yakima Indian War against the Native Americans, and is the namesake for the city of Cornelius, Oregon. As a politician he served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature and after Oregon became a state he served in the Oregon State Senate

Early life

Cornelius was born in Missouri, on November 16 1827, to Elizabeth and Benjamin Cornelius.Corning, Howard M. "Dictionary of Oregon History". Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.] In 1845, Thomas and his family traveled the Oregon Trail to Oregon Country and set up a farm on the Tualatin Plains north of what would become the community of Cornelius. After the Whitman Massacre in late 1847, Thomas volunteered for the militia of the Oregon Provisional Government in 1848.Lang, H. O. 1885. "History of the Willamette Valley, being a description of the valley and its resources, with an account of its discovery and settlement by white men, and its subsequent history together with personal reminiscences of its early pioneers". Portland, Or: G.H. Himes.] This militia prosecuted the Cayuse War in an attempt to punish those responsible for the killings at the Whitman Mission.

After gold was discovered in California, Cornelius journeyed there for a brief time, returning to what was then the Oregon Territory in 1849. The next year he married Florentine Wilkes, and they would have six children together before she died in 1864, including Benjamin. They would settle on 640 acres of their Donation Land Claim near Cornelius. In 1855, a second war against the Native Americans started east of the Cascades against the Yakima tribe, with Thomas volunteering again and serving first as a captain. For three months he led his company before being elected as colonel after James W. Nesmith resigned his commission. Cornelius continued as colonel until the end of the war.

Political career

In 1856, Cornelius was elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature to serve in the upper chamber Council. [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/territorial/1856reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (8th Territorial) 1856 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.] Serving as a Whig, he represented Washington, Columbia, and Multnomah counties. He won re-election in 1857 [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/territorial/1857reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (9th Territorial) 1857 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.] and in 1858 to the final session of the territorial legislature. [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/territorial/1858regterr.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (10th Territorial) 1858 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.] In 1859, he continued in the legislature of the now Oregon State Senate after Oregon entered the Union on February 14 1859. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1859spec.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly 1859 Special Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.]

In the Oregon Senate, Cornelius served as a Republican representing Washington County and several other counties through the 1874 legislature. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1874reg.HTM Oregon Legislative Assembly (8th) 1874 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.] The 1862 Session was the only time during those years he was not elected. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1862reg.HTM Oregon Legislative Assembly (2nd) 1862 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.] His absence was due to being selected to help a raise a regiment of cavalry troops ordered by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. He was chosen as colonel of the troops and they relocated to Walla Walla, Washington, where he was placed in command of the military post until resigning during the summer of 1862 and returning home. During the 1866 legislature Cornelius was selected as President of the Oregon Senate. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/statehood/1866reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (4th) 1866 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives, accessed November 4 2007.] In 1886, he won the Republican nomination to run for Governor of Oregon, but lost to Sylvester Pennoyer in the general election. [Evans, Elwood. [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/or/county/union1/1889vol2/volumeIIpage268-288.htm History of the Pacific Northwest: Oregon and Washington...] Portland, Or: North Pacific history Co, 1889. Vol. II, p. 286.]

Later life and family

After his first wife died in 1864, Thomas remarried in 1866 to Missouri A. Smith. In 1872, he moved to what would be named Cornelius after him, and opened a mercantile that would later be operated by his son Thomas S. Cornelius. In addition to the store, Cornelius would own a total of 1500 acres covering three farms, a warehouse, and a sawmill. He built Cornelius Pass Road that linked the Tualatin Valley to the Columbia River. [Baron, Connie and Michelle Trappen. Paths linking past and present. "The Oregonian", March 6 2008.] Thomas R. Cornelius died on June 24 1899, at the age of 71. He was buried at the Cornelius Methodist Church Cemetery. [Taylor, Joshua. [http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub/usgenweb/or/washington/cemeteries/cornelius-methodist-a-m.txt Cemetery Photos; Cornelius Methodist Church Cemetery: Washington Co., Oregon A - M.] RootsWeb. Retrieved on August 2 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.cornelius.or.us/cornelius_name.htm Cornelius, Oregon]
* [http://www.grovenet.org/Cornelius/City/cornelius-history.html Growth of early Cornelius due to arrival of railroad]