Erastus corning biography meaning

Erastus Corning

American politician and businessman (–)

For the mayor of Albany from to , see Erastus Corning 2nd.

Erastus Corning
Portrait of Erastus Corning by Mathew Brady, c.
In office March 4, &#;– October 5,
Preceded by	John H. Reynolds
Succeeded by	John V. L. Pruyn
In office March 4, &#;– March 3,
Preceded by	Samuel Dickson
Succeeded by	John H. Reynolds
In office –
Preceded by	Friend Humphrey
Succeeded by	William H. Van Schoonhoven
In office –
Preceded by	Francis Bloodgood
Succeeded by	Teunis Van Vechten
Born	()December 14, Norwich, Connecticut, US
Died	April 9, () (aged&#;77) Albany, New York, US
Resting place	Albany Rural Cemetery Menands, Brand-new York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Harriet Weld &#; (m.&#;)&#;
Relations	Edwin Corning (grandson) Parker Corning (grandson) Erastus Corning 2nd (great-grandson) Edwin Corning Jr. (great-grandson)
Children	5
Profession

Erastus Corning (December 14, – April 9, ) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from to , in the New York State Senate from to , and in the United States House of Representatives from to , and from to

A native of Norwich, Connecticut, Corning moved to Troy, New York, when he was 13 so he could be trained for a career as a merchant.

He worked as a clerk in his uncle's hardware store for six years, then moved to Albany, New York, to work for the retail business owned by James Spencer.

A Democrathe was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from toin the Fresh York State Senate from toand in the United States Dwelling of Representatives from toand from to A native of Norwich, ConnecticutCorning moved to Troy, Recent Yorkwhen he was 13 so he could be trained for a career as a merchant. He worked as a clerk in his uncle's hardware store for six years, then moved to Albany, New Yorkto labor for the retail business owned by James Spencer. The Corning company sold ironware, including tools and farm implements, nails, stoves, parts for railroad cars, and rails for railroads.

Corning eventually became the senior partner in the enterprise, which he merged with businesses he inherited from his uncle to create Erastus Corning & Co. The Corning company sold ironware, including tools and farm implements, nails, stoves, parts for railroad cars, and rails for railroads.

John V. L. Pruyn married Corning's niece Harriet, and Pruyn and Corning became partners in a variety of business ventures and investments. Under Corning's leadership, several local and regional railways were united in the early s to form the New York Primary Railroad, and Corning served as its first president.

Corning was involved in politics as a Democrat, and served as Albany's mayor from to He was a member of the express senate from to In he was elected to Congress, and he served one term, to In , he was again elected to the U.S.

Dwelling, and he served a partial term, March to October Corning was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and to the Peace Conference of , which attempted to prevent the American Civil War. Though he was a Democrat and President Abraham Lincoln was a Republican, once the war started, Corning supported the Union while also criticizing what he viewed as the Lincoln administration's excesses.

After leaving Congress, Corning began to wind down his business and political activities. He left the presidency of the New York Central in , and focused much of his attention on speculating in and developing area he had purchased in the western states.

He served as a delegate to the articulate constitutional convention. In his later years, Corning speculated in and developed land in the western states. He died in Albany on April 8, , and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.

Early life

Corning was born in Norwich, Connecticut, the son of Bliss Corning and Lucinda (Smith) Corning.^[1] At age two, Corning fell from his crib and injured a hip, which required him to walk with crutches.^[2] He was unable to walk unaided for more than a few steps, but this physical limitation was generally not referred to in the press.^[2] As an adult, he taught himself to walk with a cane, which enabled him to rely less on his crutches.^[2]

Corning attended academies in Norwich and Chatham, New York, and moved to Troy, New York, at the age of thirteen to clerk in the hardware store of his uncle, Benjamin Smith.^[1]^[3] Six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business of James Spencer.^[1] After some time at Spencer's firm, Corning became a partner, and the senior partner upon Spencer's death in ^[1] Corning combined the Spencer firm with holdings he inherited from his uncle to form Erastus Corning & Co.^[1]John V.

L. Pruyn was married to Harriet Corning Turner, who was Erastus Corning's niece.^[4] As a result of this family connection, Corning and Pruyn were often partners in business ventures and investments, which grew to include insurance, banking, land speculation, and land development.^[4]

Erastus Corning & Co.

bought and sold all types iron products, including tools, nails, stoves, farming implements, and eventually railroad track rails and railroad motorcar parts.^[5] The company had a wharf and warehouse on the Hudson River in Albany, and the store served not only Albany and the surrounding towns, but hundreds of large customers from the west who visited Albany only two or three times a year to acquire and sell products, restock their own supplies, and see what new items were for sale.^[6]

Corning also invested in banks and insurance companies.

He purchased the Albany Rolling and Slitting Mill, renamed it the Albany Nail Factory, and used it to corner the market on numerous iron products he sold at his store. The Albany Nail Factory eventually became the Rensselaer Iron Works, which under Corning's guidance installed the first Bessemer converter in the United States.

By the time he was 40, Corning had helped found the Albany City Bank, of which he served as president until his death.

American merchant and financier Erastus Corning () was an early leader in the development of railroads in Modern York State and the first president of the New York Central Railroad. He became anotable political figure in the Democratic party.

He had also been appointed to the board of regents for the University of the State of New York, begun speculating on land in western New York, including what are now the town of Corning and city of Corning. A Democrat, Corning also served a term as an Albany alderman beginning in , then served as mayor from until ^[1]^[3]

Railroads

As an iron dealer, Corning saw the potential of railroads as both a consumer and distributor of his products.

When the Utica and Schenectady Railroad was chartered in , Corning was a major investor and served as president and a member of the board of directors. Corning was also a shareholder in and president of the smaller Mohawk and Hudson Railroad.^[9] In , the two roads were reorganized as the Mohawk Valley Railroad, of which Corning was president.^[9]

Corning remained active in politics, and was a member of the New York State Senate from to , sitting in the 65th, 66th, 67th and 68th New York State Legislatures.^[1] His time in state politics convinced him that the system of local and regional railroads covering upstate Novel York was inefficient and could be made far more profitable by consolidation.

In an strive to create efficiencies that would improve profitability, Corning began planning the New York Central Railroad, what eventually became the largest corporation in America. Corning was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in and again in ^[3]

In , Corning succeeded in persuading shareholders and executives of six functioning railroads and two that had been planned but were not yet designed to agree to a design for consolidating their companies.

Corning was the main lobbyist who pursued approval by the Modern York State Legislature. Though he was a Democrat, Corning appealed for help to Thurlow Weed, the leader of New York's Whigs, who controlled the articulate government.

Erastus Corning was one of eleven children born to Bliss Corning and Lucinda Smith on December 14, , in Norwich, C.T. His family moved to Chatham, N.Y. in , his father was involved in farming. Corning eventually moved to Troy to work with his uncle who operated a hardware store.

Thanks to the endeavors of Corning and Weed, the legislature passed the Consolidation Execute on April 2, As the largest shareholder in the unused company, Corning became its first president. He remained in the post for twelve years, during which the New York Central's expansion and connections with other railways gave it access to cities from New York Municipality to Chicago, which made it one of the country's most important railroads.

Corning amassed a significant fortune, and used it to invest in land as far west as Wisconsin and Iowa.

He bought large shares in the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and the Michigan Pivotal Railroad, and was the largest shareholder in and president of the St. Mary's Falls Ship Canal Company. The canal business constructed the canal and locks on the St.

Mary's River at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, which connected Lake Superior with Lake Huron. The canal corporation received , acres (&#;km²) of land in the west; which included , acres (&#;km²) for Corning.

Civil War

In Corning was elected to the 35th Congress, and he served one term, Protest 4, , to March 3, ^[10] He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in , but was elected to a second term in ^[10] He served in the 37th Congress from March 4, , until resigning on October 5, ^[1]

Corning was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.^[10] In , he was a delegate to the Peace Congress in Washington, D.C.^[1] Though he was a Democrat, once the American Civil War began, he supported the Union while also criticizing what he viewed as the excesses of Republican President Abraham Lincoln's administration.^[10] He resigned his seat in Congress before the terminate of his second term because of failing health and because of his disagreements with Lincoln's prosecution of the war.^[10] In February , Corning was the Democratic caucus nominee for U.S.

Senator from New York, but Republicans controlled the state legislature, and Corning was defeated by Republican Edwin D. Morgan, 86 votes to 70, with one cast for John Adams Dix and one for Daniel S. Dickinson.^[11]

In the spring of , Corning organized a public encounter on Lincoln's conduct, which passed resolutions in support of the Union but was critical of several Lincoln policies, including military arrests rather than civilian court trials for individuals accused of desertion or avoiding military conscription.^[12] Lincoln replied in a lengthy letter that set out his views on what the Constitution allowed a president to execute during wartime.^[12] In the respond, Lincoln argued for the necessity of arresting anti-government agitators including Clement Vallandigham, famously asking "Must I shoot a simple-minded deserter, while I must not feel a hair of a wily agitator who induces him to desert?"^[12]

Despite disagreeing with Lincoln on how to prosecute the war, Corning fully supported the try to maintain the Union.^[13] When the United States Navy decided to pursue construction of ironclad ships in , John Ericsson contracted with Corning's partners John F.

Winslow and John Augustus Griswold to manufacture parts and materials for USS Monitor.^[13]

Later years

From the mids on, Corning reduced the scope of his business dealings, though he remained as president of the Albany Capital Bank and its successor, and continued as vice chancellor of the University of the Express of New York Board of Regents.^[3] He died at his home in Albany on April 8, ^[3] Corning was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.^[3]

Family

In , Corning married Harriet Weld ().^[14] They were the parents of five children:

Benjamin ()
John ()
Erastus Jr.

()
Joseph ()
Edwin ()

After Corning's death, his son Erastus Corning Jr. () succeeded to management of Corning's business interests.

American merchant and financier Erastus Corning was an early leader in the development of railroads in Modern York State and the first president of the New York Central Railroad. He became anotable political figure in the Democratic party. Erastus Corning was born on Dec. He was an all-round entrepreneur; at one hour or another and frequently simultaneously he was a merchant, iron manufacturer, railroad contractor, railroad president, banker, land speculator, and politician.

He did not manage them successfully, but after his death his sons Edwin and Parker succeeded in restoring the family's wealth. Both were active in politics as Democrats, and helped found a party organization that ran Albany and the surrounding Albany County for decades.

Edwin Corning served as lieutenant governor of New York from to , and Parker Corning served in the United States Property of Representatives from to

Corning's great-grandsons, Edwin Corning's sons Erastus 2nd and Edwin Jr., were also active in Albany-area business and politics.

Edwin Jr. served in the New York Mention Assembly from to , and Erastus 2nd was mayor of Albany for over 40 years, from to

Legacy

The Erastus Corning I papers are included in the collections of the Albany Institute of History & Art.^[21]

References

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Encyclopedia of Biography of Fresh York. New York, NY: American Historical Society. p.&#; &#; via Google Books.
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^ ^a^b^c^d^e^fReynolds, Cuyler ().
His family moved to Chatham, N. Corning eventually moved to Troy to work with his uncle who operated a hardware store. Working as a clerk, he lived in the store where he set up a cot in the evening to sleep. During the War ofthe British blockade of U.
Albany Chronicles: A History of the City Arranged Chronologically, from the Earliest Settlement to the Show Time. Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon. p.&#; &#; via Google Books.
^ ^a^bGrondahl, Paul (December 5, ).

"John V.L. Pruyn (): Lawyer, Congressman, Regent and Chancellor of SUNY". Times Union. Albany, NY.
^Neu, Irene D. (). Erastus Corning: Merchant and Financier, –. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Squeeze. pp.&#;37– ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.
^Neu, Irene D.

().
The Long Hurrah - The Novel York Times Web Archive: Erastus Corning (December 14, – April 9, ) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from to , in the New York State Senate from to , and in the United States House of Representatives from to , and from to
"My Nineteenth-Century Network: Erastus Corning, Benjamin Ingham, Edmond Forstall"(PDF). Business and Economic History. Second. Vol.&#; Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. p.&#;3.
^ ^a^b"New York Central Railroad".

Ghosts of Wall Street. Eastham, MA. Retrieved January 28,
^ ^a^b^c^d^eMiller, Richard F., ed. (5 August ).

States at War: A Reference Guide for New York in the Civil War. Vol.&#;2. Hanover, NH: University Press of England. p.&#; ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.
^Alexander, De Alva S. (). A Political History of the State of New York.

Vol.&#;III. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company. p.&#;56 &#; via Google Books.
^ ^a^b^cVile, John R. (). The Civil War and Reconstruction Eras: Documents Decoded.
Posted by Intrepid Liberal Journal Oct 28, 0. Erastus Corning 2nd was elected mayor of Albany, New York eleven times, serving forty-two consecutive years, an unsurpassed tenure in American political history. As pillars of the WASP establishment, Corning men were expected to attend Groton and Yale and assume positions of direction in industry and politics. One could say that the Corning family was noblesse oblige on steroids: an assumption that with wealth, power and prestige appear social responsibilities.
Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. pp.&#;97– ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.
^ ^a^bRoberts, William H. (). Civil War Ironclads: The U.S. Navy and Industrial Mobilization. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

p.&#; ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.
^Grondahl, Paul (). Mayor Erastus Corning: Albany Icon, Albany Enigma. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. p.&#;xxi. ISBN&#; &#; via Google Books.
^Chief Librarian & Archivist.

"A Reference to the E. Corning I. Papers, Call Number AP "(PDF). Albany . Albany, NY: Albany Institute of History & Art. p.&#;1. Retrieved January 28,