Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon." Vol. 3. Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 306. WILLIAM D. CORNISH A long career of successful effort, followed by an honorable retirement, is an ideal program of life, and this is the record of William D. Cornish, of Stayton, than whom none enjoys a greater measure of public esteem. Mr. Cornish was born in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, January 25, 1845, and is a son of John and Johanna (Uglow) Cornish, both of whom were natives of England. The father, who was born in 1810, came to America in 1830, locating at Princeton, Ontario, Canada, where he followed the blacksmith's trade during the remaining years of his life, dying March 23, 1851, at the age of forty-one years. His wife died in 1857. They became the parents of eight children, as follows: Jane, Maria, Jane and John, deceased; John, who was born on May 23, 1839, and died on August 8, 1914; William, who died in infancy; William D.; and Nicholas, who was born August 31, 1847, and now lives at Burford, Ontario. William D. Cornish attended the public schools of Ontario, but when twelve years of age was orphaned by the death of his mother and was thus thrown on his own resources. He was employed at various lines of work in Canada until 1870, when he came to Oregon, locating in Marion county, where he worked on farms for a few years. He then leased a farm in Linn county, which he cultivated until 1874, when he returned to Marion county and bought three hundred and five acres of land five miles east of Stayton. A part of this land was covered with timber, nearly all of which he cleared off, and developed here a splendid farm, on which he erected a good set of buildings. He devoted his attention to the raising of grain and stock, meeting with success, and remained on the place until 1909, when he leased the ranch and bought a house in Stayton. He now makes him home with his daughter, Mrs. Mabel Knight, in Stayton. In 1873, Mr. Cornish was married to Miss Ann Stanton, who was born in the Waldo hills, twelve miles east of Salem, and is a daughter of Ben and Matilda (Baldwin) Stanton, both of whom were natives of Missouri. Mr. Stanton crossed the plains in 1852 and located near Silverton, Oregon, where he remained a few years, after which he bought a ranch in the Waldo hills, where he spent the remaining years of his life. To Mr. and Mrs. Cornish have been born six children. Mrs. Luetta Riggs, now deceased, was the mother of a son, Henry E., who was born near Stayton, and enlisted for service in the World war, in which he served two and a half years. He went to the fighting front five times and was "over the top" three times, returning home without a scratch. He was with the Second Division of Oregon infantry, and is now living in California. Mrs. Alice Rabens, the second daughter, is the mother of two children, and her daughter, Mrs., Dora Hunt, has two children. Dale and Betty May. A. W. Cornish is married and has a daughter, Mrs. Fay De Spain. Roy B. died when three years old. Mrs. Ada Wourms has a daughter, Marie. Mrs. Mabel Knight has a daughter, Margery, born January 12, 1924. During his active years Mr. Cornish aided in the advancement of community interests, serving many years as a member of the school board and as road supervisor, and has always been regarded as one of the representative men of his section of the county. A kindly and generous man, he is widely acquainted and has many warm friends, who esteem him for his genuine worth. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in February 2012 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.