Thomas Cornell
Encyclopedia
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he was commissioned as a major in the New York Militia
New York Guard
The New York Guard is the State Defense Force of New York State. As of June 2008, the New York Guard, a recognized command under the New York State's Military law, has line-item funding in the state budget....
. He served two terms in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
running on the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
line, first from 1867 to 1869, and again from 1881 to 1883.
Biography
He was born in White Plains, New YorkWhite Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
on January 27, 1814 to Peter Cornell (1780-1860) and Margaret Gedney (1786-1829). After attending public schools, Thomas C. Cornell was drawn to Rondout, N.Y.
Rondout, New York
Rondout was a village located on the north side of Rondout Creek near its mouth on the Hudson River in Ulster County and includes the Rondout-West Strand Historic District....
by his uncle, Thomas W. Cornell, Peter's brother. Thomas W. came to the Rondout area in 1822 and opened a general store in New Salem. When the Delaware and Hudson canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
opened in 1828 his business grew rapidly.
In the 1830s Thomas C. Cornell worked for David P. Mapes of Coxsackie, NY
Coxsackie, New York
Coxsackie is the name of more than one place in New York, USA.*Coxsackie , New York*Coxsackie , New York*Coxsackie Correctional Facility...
. Mapes' enterprises foreshadowed Cornell's business success. Mapes owned the sidewheeler General Jackson which had the contract to haul barges for the D&H Canal Company
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
and he also owned a stage line running from Rondout into the Catskills.
In 1837 with his own sloop, Cornell started what was to become the Cornell Steamboat Company. In 1850 he obtained the contract for towing D&H Canal Company
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
barges. Following the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the Cornell Steamboat Line virtually monopolized freight traffic on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, dominating the towing of barges well into the 1900s. While the Steamboat Company was the heart of his empire, Cornell engaged in many other related enterprises.
In 1866 he incorporated what was to become the Ulster and Delaware Railroad
Ulster and Delaware Railroad
The Ulster and Delaware Railroad Company was a Class I railroad located in New York State, headquartered in Rondout and founded in 1866. It was often advertised as "The Only All-Rail Route To the Catskill Mountains." At its greatest extent, the U&D ran from Kingston Point, on the Hudson River,...
(U&D). He was involved in the construction and operation of several other railroads including the Wallkill Valley and the Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad
The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad was chartered on June 29, 1870 for the purpose of building a railroad from Rhinecliff on the Hudson River east to the Connecticut state line...
.
In 1868, along with other business leaders in Rondout, he founded the Rondout Savings Bank. He is also reported to have been a founder of a commercial bank.
Cornell at one time owned the Grand Hotel, a luxurious hotel set on the border between Ulster
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
and Delaware
Delaware County, New York
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2010 the population was 47,980. The county seat is Delhi. It is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609.-History:When counties...
counties. The Grand Hotel had its own station, Grand Hotel Station
Grand Hotel Railroad Station
Grand Hotel Station, MP 41.4 of the Ulster and Delaware Railroad, was located in the small mountain hamlet of Highmount, New York, at the summit between Big Indian and Arkville. A turntable was located here, allowing pusher engines to be turned before descending to Arkville or Big Indian. It...
(today known as Highmount) on the Ulster and Delaware Railroad
Ulster and Delaware Railroad
The Ulster and Delaware Railroad Company was a Class I railroad located in New York State, headquartered in Rondout and founded in 1866. It was often advertised as "The Only All-Rail Route To the Catskill Mountains." At its greatest extent, the U&D ran from Kingston Point, on the Hudson River,...
.
He died in Kingston, New York
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
on March 30, 1890 and was interred at the Montrepose Cemetery
Montrepose Cemetery
-Burials:*Jervis McEntee , American painter*Thomas Cornell , American politician and businessman*Arthur Sherwood Flemming , United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare...
.