Ira Cornell, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Ira Cornell
IRA CORNELL was born in Wayne County, Ohio, December 23, 1823; his father, Isaac, was born in Pennsylvania April 17, 1792, and his mother, Priscilla (Morgan), in Virginia May 31, 1799. They were married April 9, 1818. In the spring of 1835, the family came to Boone Township, this county, and settled on a 400-acre tract of land. They were the first white people to locate in the township; the land was not put on the market until 1838, when the father bought it from the Government at $1.25 per acre. From this farm he shipped some of the first wheat ever sent from the township. Here Ira Cornell entered forty acres, which, in due course of time, he saved money enough to buy, and soon succeeded in buying 160 additional. October 30, 1850, he married in Wayne County, Ohio, Miss Emily Kaufman, who was born in Lancaster, County, Penn., May 22, 1825. They have had born to them six children - Alice, September 3, 1851, Elmina, December 20, 1853; Isaac, October 23, 1854; Effie, August 11, 1857; Rose K., May 28, 1863; and Fannie L., November 18, 1867. Mrs. Priscilia Cornell died November 25, 1859, and Isaac Cornell January 22, 1874. Alice Cornell was married to John McConkey, and Elmina to Leander Jones. Effie has been teaching school since 1874. Ira Cornell has now a fine farm of 315 acres on Section 23, with a new two story frame dwelling. His present corn crop, of ten weeks' growth, stands at twelve feet six inches; he has some very fine live stock, his Norman horse being the finest in the county, with a mane forty-five inches in length; he has taken numerous premiums at the county fair for this animal and for others. Mr. Cornell is a member of the Christian Church, is a liberal Democrat in his political view, and loyal to the Government, having aided it by all means in his power during the recent rebellion.
Source: Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago, Illinois: F. A. Battey & Company. 771 p.
Page(s) in Source: 380-381
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook