Thomas R. Cornelius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Oregon Territory Council | |
| In office 1856–1858 | |
| Preceded by | A. P. Dennison |
| Succeeded by | position dissolved |
| Constituency | Washington, Multnomah, & Columbia counties |
| Member of the Oregon State Senate | |
| In office 1859 – 1876 (except 1862) | |
| Preceded by | position created |
| Succeeded by | A. B. Wait |
| Constituency | Washington, Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook |
| President of the Oregon State Senate | |
| In office 1866–1867 | |
| Preceded by | John H. Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Franklin Burch |
| Constituency | Oregon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 16, 1827 Missouri |
| Died | June 24, 1899 (aged 71) Oregon |
| Political party | Whig, Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Florentine Wilkes (m. 1849) Missouri Smith (m. 1866) |
Thomas Ramsey Cornelius (November 16, 1827 – June 24, 1899) was a prominent American politician and soldier in the early history of Oregon. Born in Missouri, he moved to the Oregon Country with his family as a young man, where he fought in the Cayuse War and Yakima Indian War against the Native Americans. He settled in Washington County near what later became Cornelius, named in his honor.
A Whig and later a Republican, he served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature where following statehood, he served in the Oregon State Senate. In the Senate, he served one term as the president of that chamber. He also built the Cornelius Pass Road that bears his name. He was the father of Benjamin P. Cornelius, who was also prominent in state politics.