Benjamin P. Cornelius

Cornelius was born to Thomas Cornelius and Florentine Wilks on November 9, 1850, in Hillsboro, Washington County, Oregon.[1] He was raised in that county and was engaged in agriculture before marrying Esther A. Barrett on November 11, 1871, in neighboring Glencoe.[2] Cornelius became involved in politics as a Republican and served as a delegate to the county's party convention and state conventions starting in the 1880s.[1]

In 1884, Cornelius won his first election when he was elected as the sheriff of Washington County.[1] He was elected again in 1888, and in 1894 was elected as a county judge.[1] In 1892, Cornelius entered state politics and was elected to a two-year term in the Oregon House of Representatives as a Republican representing Washington County.[3]

Following his term as county judge he returned to farming before winning election as mayor of Hillsboro in 1903.[4] The seventeenth person to serve as mayor of Washington County's seat, he was in office from December 15, 1903, until December 4, 1906.[4] Cornelius returned to the Oregon House in 1917 after winning election in 1916, again representing Washington County.[5] Benjamin P. Cornelius died on December 24, 1930, at the age of 80 and was buried at the cemetery at the Old Scotch Church north of Hillsboro.[2]