Biography of Henry Winslow Corbett, 1899, State of Oregon
Surnames: Corbett, Jagger, Ruggles

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Transcribed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
W. David Samuelsen - December 2001
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Oregon Native Son, Vol. 1, May 1899, page 54-55

HENRY WINSLOW CORBETT.

Henry Winslow Corbett was horn in Westborough. Mass., February 18, 1827. He
was the son of Elijah and Melinda (Forbush) Corbett. His ancestor; were
Norman, settled in Massachusetts in the seventeenth century, and came from
Roger Corbett, a military leader under William    I in the conquest of England,
whose oldest son Roger was seated at Wattesborough, while his secand son
Robert had for inheritance the castle and estate of Caus, with a large part of
his father's domain. The latter's son Robert accompanied Richard I to the
siege of Acre, bearing on his coat of arms two ravens, since used by his
descendants as a crest.

Elijah Corbett, his father, established at Westborough the first edged tool
manufactory in that part of Massachusetts. He subsequently moved to Washington
county, New York, where he continued in the manufacturing business until
failing health compelled him to retire. He then settled near Cambridge, same
county, where he managed a hotel and farm. Here he died in 1845.

Mr. Corhett's early boyhood was passed in Washington county, New York, where
he attended a common school. From 13 to 15 years of age he was employed in a
Cambridge store, while at the same time he attended Cambridge academy. At 15
years of age he secured a better place in Salem, where he moved, and remained
one year, when he went to New York city and entered into the employ of
Williams, Bradford & Co., remaining in New York seven years. In October, 1850,
Mr. Corbett shipped a stock of general merchandise to Oregon by way of Cape
Horn. He followed the shipment in January, 1851, via Panama, the transfer
across such being made in part by small boats and partly on the "hurricane
deck" of a mule. Taking passage from Panama on the steamer Columbia for
Oregon, he arrived in the Columbia on March 4, 1851, and resumed the journey
to Portland on a small river steamer called the Columbia, commanded by Daniel
O'Neil, captain and purser, arriving at his destination the following day.
This craft was not supplied with sleeping accommodations, and the passengers
were obliged to make the most of her deck for a bed; and the meals were served
upon tin plates, some using their laps for a table, and others utilizing the
floor. Portland at this time contained about 400 inhabitants, and was supplied
with some four or five small stores. First street was full of stumpage and
sidewalks were unknown. Back from this extended a virgin forest. The principal
hotel, the Warren house, would, by judicious crowding, accommodate about a
dozen guests.

He engaged a building in the course of erection on the corner of Front and Oak
streets, at a rental of $125 per mouth. His goods arrived in May, before its
completion, and he hoisted them into the upper story for the time being. He
used a ladder for a stair way, hauling it up at night, and slept with his
wares on the soft side of the floor. The entire stock was sold in fourteen
months at a profit of about $20,000, with which he returned to New York to
render an account of his stewardship, remaining there for a year buying goods
and shipping them to Portland on his own account, to which place he then
returned and continued in the general merchandise business until 1860, when he
went into the hardware trade as a wholesaler. In 1871 he consolidated with
Henry Failing, thus founding the house of Corbett, Failing & Co. In 1869 he
and Mr. Failing bought a controlling interest in the First National bank,
which then carried deposits amounting to $40,000, whereas today the deposits
amount to nearly $5,000,000. In 1865-66 he secured a contract for carrying the
mails between Portland and Marysville, Cal., overland, which was done
successfully with four-horse coaches. He was among the first interested in the
Oregon Railway & Navigation Company; was identified with the Portland Rope
Works, Oregon Linseed Oil Works, City & Suburban Railway, Oregon Transfer
Company, Oregon Fire & Marine Company, the Portland Hotel Company, president
of the first Board of Trade, the State Board of Immigration, the First
Presbyterian church, toward the construction of which he gave large sums,
besides which he has liberally endowed the Children’s Home and extended
substantial financial aid to the Y. M. C. A., the Boys' and Girls' Aid
Society, the Sailors' Home, Oregoh Pioneer Association and many other
institutions.

As a young man he was a whig, but when the republican party was organized he
became one of its stanch supporters and chairman of the state central
committee. In 1860 he was elected a delegate from Oregon to the Chicago
convention, but failed to get there in time, so was represented by Horace
Greeley, and indorsed his stand and hard work for the nomination of Lincoln.
He was elected United States senator in 1866 and served until 1873 with great
credit to the state. In 1897 the state legislature adjourned without electing
a United States senator, and Mr. Corbett was appointed by the governor to the
vacancy; but it was decided by the senate that such could only be filled by an
election. In 1898 a special. session of the legislature was called, and though
Mr. Corbett was the choice of the people and the caucus nominee of his party
some politicians combined to thwart this preference, and rather than cause
further differences, he withdrew, much to the disappointment of his friends.

Mr. Corbett was married in 1853 to Miss Caroline P. Jagger, of Albany, N. Y.,
who died in 1864, but not until she had become well known in her adopted home,
loved and deeply mourned by all who knew her. By this marriage they had two
sons - Hamilton F., the younger, a very promising and popular young man, who
died October 17, 1884, at the age of 24; and Henry J. Corbett, the elder, who
lived until March 2, 1895, when he, too, passed away, after taking a leading
part for years in the financial conduct of the great banking house with which
his father was connected.

Mr. Corbett again married, in 1867, to Miss Emma L. Ruggles, of Worcester,
Mass.; a lady whose refinement and kindness of disposition has long been
recognized in the highest of society, both at Washington and in Portland. To
the senator she has been a most worthy helpmate, casting sunshine through his
life.

From a humble beginning in our midst, and one beset with difficulties Mr.
Corbett steadily rose to a position of great wealth and honor. In his rise the
wayside has blossomed with charity and good will to all mankind, without
ostentation in his giving, and his name ever stood with those who contributed
large amounts for the re]ief of suffering humanity and benevolent enterprises;
and none among his fellow travelers can say that he ever took a mean advantage
of them or wronged them in any of his many transactions.