Thomas C. Cornell

Thomas C. Cornell, an American politician and businessman, was born in White Plains, N.Y. on January 27, 1814. During the Civil War he was commissioned as a major in the New York Militia. He served two terms in Congress running on the Republican Party line, first from 1867 to 1869, and again from 1881 to 1883. He died in Kingston, N.Y. on March 30, 1890 and was interred at the Montrepose Cemetery.

Thomas C. Cornell was the son of Peter Cornell. After attending public schools, Thomas C. Cornell was drawn to Rondout, N.Y. by his uncle, Thomas W. Cornell, Peter's brother. Thomas W. came to the Roundout area in 1822 and opened a general store. When the Delaware and Hudson canal opened in 1828 his business grew rapidly.

In the 1830s Thomas C. Cornell worked for David P. Mapes of Coxsackie, NY. 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 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 barges. Following the Civil War the Cornell Steamboat Line virtually monopolized freight traffic on the Hudson River, 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 (U&D). He was involved in the construction and operation of several other railroads including the Wallkill Valley and the Rhinebeck and Connecticut.

In 1868, along with other business leaders in Rondout, he founded of the [http://www.rondout.com Roundout 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 and Delaware counties. The Grand Hotel had its own station, Grand Hotel Station (today known as Highmount) on the U&D.

References

Persondata
NAME= Cornell, Thomas C.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American politician and businessman, major in the New York Militia
DATE OF BIRTH=January 27 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH=White Plains, New York, United States
DATE OF DEATH=March 30 1890
PLACE OF DEATH=Kingston, New York, United States