Oregon Republican League: History 101

Every Wednesday, the Oregon Republican League will post the biographies of important figures, in the League's/State of Oregon's history. Click on the head link above, to visit more of our listings at genealogy.com. Feel free to comment or share stories of your family's Republican affiliation.

Oregon Republican League:

Republican League Register of Oregon, The Register Publishing Company, 1896, page 192-195.

CONYERS, W. H. [Editor inserted: William H. Conyers], of Clatskanie, was born in Quincy, Illinois, April 16, 1840. He served four years in the war, and was commissioned a lieutenant. From 1865 to 1871 he was in the Postoffice department. He then came to Oregon and engaged in farming near Clatskanie. In 1878 he was elected Sheriff of Columbia County, and was re-elected in 1880. In 1882 he was elected County Clerk. In 1884 he resumed farming, and is an extensive dealer in real estate. He has many times been a member of county and state conventions.

CONYERS, HON. E. W. [Editor inserted: Enoch W. Conyers], of Clatskanie, was born in Kentucky, December 2, 1829. He learned telegraphing, and carried the first instrument into Burlington, Iowa, in1848. He served through the Mexican war in the First Illinois. In 1852 he crossed the plains and engaged in farming till 1877. He started the first store in Clatskanie and commanded the first steamer on the river, the “novelty.” He also engaged in milling. In 1882 he removed to McMinnville and farmed till 1889, when he again embarked in business at Clatskanie and became controlling owner of “Clatskanie Chief,” a weekly paper. He was a Whig, but has been a Republican ever since the party was formed. In 1860 and 1862 he was elected to the legislature. He was frequently been a member of conventions, committees and league meetings.

CROSS, HON. HARVEY E., a lawyer of Oregon City, was born there June 6, 1856. he was admitted to the bar in 1879. He was Deputy County Treasurer on e year, and in 1878 was elected to that office, being again elected in 1880. In 1890 Mr. Cross was elected Joint Senator for Clackamas and Marion Counties, and served two sessions.

COHEN, D. SOLIS, of Portland, was born in Philadelphia in 1854. He early became a writer if prominence, being connected with the Public Ledger and Sunday Dispatch of that city, a regular contributor to prominent journals and magazines, joint author of humorous work that had ten editions and the writer of two plays produced by Roland Reed. In the fall of 1876 he came to Portland and established the well-known Golden Rule Bazaar. He has taken a prominent part in many things for the welfare of the city and state. He was for four years a member of the State Board of Immigration and also a member of the State Board of Charities and Corrections. He is in fraternal circles. Politically he has always been a Republican of the higher order. He took a prominent part in the campaign leading to consolidation of the cities, and was elected Police Commissioner in 1892. Mr. Cohen is now the nominee of one wing of the Republican party for Mayor. He is fluent and classic speaker and writer.

CORBETT, HENRY W., OF Portland, was born in Westboro, Massachusetts, February 18, 1827. he early entered mercantile pursuits in New York City and State, and in 1850 shipped a stock of goods round the Horn to Portland, coming himself by Isthmus the following spring to meet them. From that time he pursued a business career that has made him closely identified with Portland’s growth. He is better known in connection with the First National Bank and Corbett, Failing & Co. than any other if his numerous successful enterprises. In 1865 he secured the mail contract between Portland and Sacramento, and put on a stage line. In 1869 he joined with Henry Failing in purchasing the First National Bank, which institution they still manage, and I n1871 the firm of Corbett, Failing & Co. was formed. He has been a promoter of many important enterprises. Mr. Corbett was a Whig until the Republican party was formed, and was one of the leaders in the latter in Oregon. He became chairman of the state central committee, and was instrumental in uniting all loyal voters in the Union party in 1862. In 1867 he was elected to the United States Senate, where he strongly advocated the building of the Northern pacific Railroad. His debates on finance and the funding bill received national recognition. His name has been frequently mentioned since in connection with senatorial honors. He has continued to take an active interest in party success, and has been in nearly every convention and league meeting for a third of a century.

CORNOYER, MAJOR N. A. {Editor inserted: Narcissa A. Cornoyer], was born in Illinois in 1820, and came to Oregon in 1849. He served in the Rogue River war in 1853, and became major of the First Regiment Oregon Mounted Volunteers during the Yakima war of 1855-6. He was twice elected Sheriff of Marion County, and in 1865 settled in Umatilla County and engaged in farming. For nine years he was Agent at the Umatilla Reservation, and once while out of office prevented an uprising of the Indians. He has frequently been a member of Republican conventions.

CODY, ALBERT J., of Portland, was born at Auburn, Baker County, Oregon, November 10, 1862. A year later his parents moved to Walla Walla, where he lived till 1875. From there he went to Astoria. In 1880 he went to the Snake river country, in Eastern Washington, then lived one year at The Dalles, and then returned to Astoria. He settled in Portland in 1882, and followed the hotel business. In 1894 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff by George C. Sears, to serve under Justice Geisler, which positions he filled until a short time ago, when he was appointed on the detective force of the police department. He is an active republican and a zealous worker.

COLLINS, J. L. [Editor inserted: James L. Collins], of Dallas, was born in Warrenton County, Mississippi, May 9, 1833, and came to Oregon in 1846, locating in Polk County. He lived on a farm with is parents till 1853, when he went to the California mines, returning in 1855. He was a reporter at the session of the legislature that year in Corvallis and Salem. He served in the Indian war of 1855-56, in Company B, Oregon Mounted Volunteers, under Captain Burch, and then taught school till 1859, when he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law, which he has since continued. He was a delegate to the county convention of 1860 and he state convention of 1864, and to both frequently since. He was Chief Clerk of the House in the sessions of 1864 and 1865. In 1866 he was a nominee for the legislature. In 1869 he was appointed County Judge to fill a vacancy, and in 1876 was the nominee for the same office.

CONSER, GEORGE W., of Heppner, was born in Jefferson, Marion County, Oregon, November 23, 1854. In 1886 he was elected Treasurer of Gilliam County, lived at Arlington. In 1890 he was a delegate to the Morrow County convention, to the state convention in 1890 and 1892, and to the congressional convention of 1896. He is a member of the Republican Club at Heppner, and an active worker in its ranks.

CONN, HON. VIRGIL, of Paisley, was born in Indiana in 1847, and in 1854 came to Oregon settling in Douglas County. He graduated at Willamette University in 1867. He engaged in mercantile pursuits in Roseburg fourteen years, and in 1882 moved to Lake County, where he has establishments in Paisley and Silver Lake. He has been an active Republican for years. In 1895 he was elected to the legislature against a previously successful Democrat in Klamath and Lake Counties, and is again the party nominee.

CORNELIUS, B. P. [Editor inserted: Benjamin P. Cornelius], of Hillsboro, was born in Washington County, Oregon, November 9, 1850, and has resided there continuously. He has been a delegate to t he county conventions for the past twelve years, to the state conventions of 1886-88-90-92-94, and the club conventions of 1894-95-96. He was elected Sheriff in 1884 and again in 1888, and was elected County Judge in 1894. Previous to his election as Sheriff he was a farmer.

CORNELIUS, COLONEL THOMAS H., of Cornelius, was born in Missouri in 1827. He came to Oregon in 1845 and served in the Cayuse war in 1848. In 1855 he entered the Yakima war as captain, but was soon elected colonel of the regiment. In 1856 he was elected to the territorial council, serving till the state was admitted. In 1858 he was the only person running on a regular Republican ticket elected to the State Senate, and is the pioneer Republican of that body. He was continuously elected to that body until 1876, except one term during the war, when, as colonel of a regiment, he was in command of Fort Walla Walla Colonel Cornelius was the Republican nominee for Governor in 1886.

COWLES, HON. JOHN W., of McMinnville, was born in Onandaga County, New York, November 3, 1823, and was educated at the De Reuter Institute of Pompey Hill Academy. He taught school and farmed in Ohio and Wisconsin till 1852, when he went to California and mined, coming a little later to Oregon. He taught school in Yamhill County. He was one of the founders of the party, and was elected County Auditor on the first Republican ticket in the county. He was then elected County Clerk two terms and County Judge two terms, serving eight years. In 1870 he was elected to the State Senate, resigning after one session. In 1888 he was one of the organizers of the McMinnville National Bank, of which he is president. He has been frequently a member of county and state conventions.

CONNER, W.C. [Editor inserted: Walter C. Conner], editor of the Myrtle Point Enterprise, was born in Linn County, Kansas, January 14, 1871. In 1876 the family moved to Sonoma County, California, and in 1879 to Lane County, Oregon. He graduated from the high school at seventeen, was in the mercantile business in Cottage Grove two years, and then for two years was on the staff of the Cottage Grove Leader. In 1898 he established the Enterprise at Riddles, and in November, 1895, moved it to Myrtle Point, where it has become one of the leading Republican papers in Southern Oregon. He was a member of the Douglas County convention in 1894.

COOPER, JAMES S., of Independence, was born in Lawrence County, Missouri, January 9, 1841. He went to California in 1861 and teamed in San Joaquin County till 1864, when he came to Oregon and lived on farms in Marion and Polk Counties and traded stock in Crook County till 1878, when he engaged in the livery business in Independence. In 1885 he founded the J.S. Cooper Bank, now the First National, of which he is president. Mr. Cooper is a Republican, and has attended many county and state conventions and league meetings, and has twice been an alternate delegate to the national convention.

COOPER, THOMAS H., of Corvallis, was born near St. Joe, Missouri, January 9, 1851, and came to Oregon the following year. He has lived in Benton County since 1884, and is by occupation a farmer. He has been a delegate to county conventions since 1875, to the state conventions of 1890, 1894, and 1896, and to the league meeting of 1895. In 1894 he was elected a member of the legislature from Benton County. He is the present member of the state central committee from Benton County.

CONNER, R. L. [Editor inserted: Roswell L. Conner], of McMinnville, was born in Polk County, Oregon, September 18, 1866. He attended the Willamette University at Salem three years, and was for three years in the Sheridan flouring mills. Since July, 1890, he has been Deputy Sheriff of Yamhill County, under W.,L. Warren and W.,G. Henderson. He was a delegate to the league meetings of 1894-95-96.

COSPER, H.B. [Editor inserted: Harry B. Cosper], of Dallas, was born at Dallas, Polk County. Oregon, August 19, 1859, and has resided there continuously. Since 1884 he has been regularly a delegate to conventions, and was a delegate to the league in 1896. in 1892 he was elected Treasurer of Polk County, and was re-elected in 1894.

COCHRAN, C.E. [Editor inserted: Charles E. Cochran], of Union, was born in Summerville, Oregon, May 8, 1878. He graduated at the State Normal School, Monmouth, and in 1894 in the Law School of the University of Michigan. He then began practice in Union, and at once took a deep interest in politics. He was a member of the last county, congressional and state conventions, and is a member of the county and state central committees.

COLVIG, GEORGE W., of Grant’s Pass, was born in Ray County, Mississippi, November 12, 1848, and came to Oregon in 1851, and has resided in Douglas and Josephine Counties continuously, going to Grant’s Pass in 1890. He is engaged in practicing law, having been admitted to the bar in 1889. Since 1874 he has been a delegate to county conventions in both counties almost continuously. He was elected a member of the legislature from Douglas County in 1876, 1878, 1880 and 1883, and was nominated for County Judge in 1884. In 1889 he was elected a member of the State Board of Railway Commissioners, and re-elected in 1891. He was a Justice of the Peace at Riddles two years, chairman of the county central committee and a delegate to the state conventions of 1890, 1892, and 1894.