Biography of Samuel Cornell, pages 647 /648.  History of De Kalb County, 
Indiana.  Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885.

Samuel Cornell, one of the substantial citizens of Jackson Township, was 
born in Carroll County, Md., June 29, 1821, a son of Smith and Mary Cornell.  
His father was a well-educated man and a teacher by profession, mathematics 
being his specialty.  Samuel was the eleventh of his father’s family, seven 
of whom grew to maturity and lived to an advanced age.  The youngest living 
to become sixty years of age.  Mr. Cornell had a good educational advantages 
in his youth, which he well improved.  He was taught mainly by his father, a 
most excellent preceptor, and also had the benefit of several terms at 
Gettysburg College.  Mr. Cornell visited this county first in 1838 in 
company with his older brothers, Benjamin and John.  The former settled in 
Williams County, Ohio, and the latter in Butler Township, this county.  
Both are now deceased.  Samuel remained in this vicinity two years, then 
returning to Maryland, he taught the most of the time till 1848.  Late in 
that year, again visited this township and selected the place he now 
occupies, spending a year here.  He than returned to Maryland and taught 
two terms in Washington County, and March 26, 1850, was married to Mary A. 
Hawver, who was born in Frederick County, Md., March 9, 1830.  The 
following June found them in their new home, having made the journey in a 
wagon, being three weeks on the road.  Mr. Cornell commenced life in De 
Kalb County with very limited means, but industry combined with frugality 
has had its proper reward, and he now has one of the finest farms in this 
part of the county.  His dwelling and farm buildings are unsurpassed and 
in his declining yeas he has promise of plenty of this world’s goods, which, 
combined with the love and esteem of his neighbors, insures him a peaceful 
old age.  Mr. Cornell taught the first school in his district.  He and his 
wife are members of the Lutheran church.  In 1859 he was sent as a delegate 
to the General Synod convened at Pittsburg, Pa., to represent the Northern 
Indiana Synod, going via Albany and New York City that he might visit his 
brother, Rev. Nathan H. Cornell, then located at Ghent, Columbia Co., N. Y.  
He loves to relate the adventures his hoosier appearance led to.  One in 
particular which occurred in the streets of New York City.  The Albany 
boat having reached the wharf at an early hour, he thought he would stroll 
uninterrupted as the streets were quiet.  Walking up Cortland street, the 
only two men in sight seemed to see something in him worth developing.  
After some preliminaries one approached him from the front and the other 
from the rear.  This to him meant robbery, but the dauntless bearing and 
unwavering course of Mr. Cornell caused a retreat of the ruffians, who 
upon closer inspection found they were mistaken in their man.  Mr. Cornell 
served two terms of four years each as Director of Wittenburg College at 
Springfield, Ohio.  He, as was his father, was a strong anti-slavery man 
prior to the war, and that in the slave State of Maryland.  He is now an 
ardent Republican.  Mr. and Mrs. Cornell have had a family of six children---
Mary, deceased, wife of Alexander Freeman; Wesley Calvin, of Washington 
Territory; Hester V., wife of R. C. Provines; Martha E., wife of Thomas 
Elson; Laura, at home and George, who died at the age of thirteen months.  
Mattie Freeman, the daughter of their daughter Mary, has been adopted into 
the home of her grandparents.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com