An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893

CORNELIUS H. HANFORD, United States Judge for the District of Washington, was
born in Van Buren county, Iowa, April 21, 1849. His parents, Edward and Abbie J.
(Holgate) Hanford, were natives of Ohio, but were married in Iowa. Their
ancestors were among the pioneer settlers of Connecticut. Edward Hanford was an
extensive farmer of Iowa, but in 1853 sold his possessions, purchased a prairie
outfit, and, with family and friends, embarked for the great Northwest then
known as Oregon. The trip was of the usual character, slow, toilsome and
fatiguing, but, as the party was well equipped, the journey was accomplished in
about four months. Leaving his family at Milwaukee, Mr. Hanford pushed on to
Seattle, where his brothers, George and Seymour, and his brother-in-law, John C.
Holgate, were already located. Having faith in the country and desiring to be
near his relatives, he located his claim, and brought his family thereto in the
summer of 1854; since then the name of Hanford has been synonymous with the
development of Seattle. C.H. Hanford was not reared in the lap of luxury. The
Indian troubles of 1855-ë56 destroyed the stock and improvements of his father,
and the boys, of whom there were five, were thrown upon their own resources at
an early age. Educational advantages were crude and imperfect; still, our
subject attended the village school when not otherwise engaged. When he was
twelve years of age the family moved to San Francisco, and there he secured
employment as office boy, improving his evenings by attending the night school.
He also took a course in the Commercial College, but otherwise he is entirely
self-educated. In 1866 the family returned to Seattle and young Hanford was
employed for two years in carrying the mail to Puyallup. At that period the
employment was not devoid of danger, and a brave heart and good horse were
necessary to accomplish the weekly trip. In this occupation he demonstrated that
courage which he evinced when but a mere child. During the Indian depredations
of 1855-'56, the old sub-chief called Curley, made himself useful to the
settlers and also imparted information as to the action of the hostiles. He said
the people would all be massacred excepting H.L. Yesler and Dr. Williamson, who
could be useful to the tribes, and the subject of this sketch, whom they wished
to make their chief because of his courage. This conclusion was reached by
Curley overhearing a conversation between the subject and an elder brother, who
were sent upon an errand through the woods, to an uncle living on the shores of
Lake Washington. Bear tracks were seen along the trail, and the brother made a
pretense of being frightened and desired to turn back, but Mr. Hanford counseled
to go ahead, and just then old Curley appeared from behind a tree, and,
evidently supposing the play to be genuine, picked young Cornelius up in his
arms and gazed into his blue eyes, which were met unflinchingly; he then took up
his brother, a dark-eyed lad, and submitted him to the same test, then turned
away with the muttered remark, Blue-eyed boy very brave; dark-eyed boy a
coward." Completing his mail contract, our subject followed fanning up to 1869,
then went to Walla Walla, and passed three years in teaching school, with
intervals at farm labor. He then desired to enter the stock business, but on
account of ill health, returned to his home in Seattle to recuperate and as his
strength was slow in returning, he abandoned the project and in the spring of
1873 engaged in the study of law in the office of George M. McConaha, and was
admitted to the bar in February, 1875. Mr. McConaha was Prosecuting Attorney for
the Third Judicial District, and having a large practice, young Hanford attended
to the office work and received a practical education. After his admission to
the bar a copartnership was formed and continued until Mr. McConaha lost his
health. Mr. Hanford then continued alone for a time, subsequently becoming
connected with Colonel C.H. Larrabee, Judge Roger S. Green, John H. McGraw and
J.F. McNaught, all prominent characters in the history of Seattle. In 1875 Judge
Hanford was appointed United States Commissioner, and held that office to the
following year, when he was elected to the Territorial Council. Serving one
term, he declined to be a candidate for re-election, and gave his undivided time
to his profession. In 1882 he was elected City Attorney of Seattle, and again
elected in 1884-'85. From 1881 to 1886 he held the office of Assistant United
States Attorney under Hon. John B. Allen, then United States Attorney, now
United States Senator from Washington. In March, 1889, Judge Hanford was
appointed Chief Justice of Washington Territory by President Harrison, and held
that office until the admission of the Territory to Statehood, when his office
lapsed; but he was at once honored with the appointment by the President to the
office of United States Judge for the District of Washington. Though the State
is young the work embraces as vast a variety of questions as any court in the
United States, and as the Judge holds two terms of court each year, - at
Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane and Walla Walla, - with frequent calls to sit in the
Court of Appeals in San Francisco, his office is one of arduous labor, although
to him one of exceeding pleasure, as the natural trend of his mind is logical
and convincing, and the abstruse points of law are quickly conceived, readily
understood, and so clearly and impartially applied as to preserve perfect
harmony in the profession, and the sympathy and confidence of the people at
large. He was married in Olympia, in November, 1875, to Miss Clara M Baldwin, a
native of the Territory, and daughter of Andrew J. Baldwin, a pioneer of the
early '50s. They have had eight children: Ada L., Elaine, Jessie, Edward, Ralph,
Annie L., William and Harry. In politics Judge Hanford is an ardent Republican.
During the campaign of 1888 he was chairman of the Republican Territorial
Committee, and led his party to a glorious victory. During the Chinese trouble
of 1885-'86 he was a leader of the law-and-order class, and spent much of the
winter in advising with Mayor Yesler and Sheriff McGraw, and in prosecuting
those leaders who had committed or assisted in overt acts. The Judge was also a
member of the Howe Guards, and took an active part in the civic and social
organization of Company E, First Regiment, and continued as a member of the
company until called to the bench. After the fire of June, 1889, he was the
first to publicly propose that the city should turn the disaster into a public
benefit by widening and straightening some of the principal streets of the city.
Thus by advice, counsel and material aid has Judge Hanford always advanced the
interests of Seattle.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.