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Charles Cornelius (1854 - 1918) Born: January 4, 1854 - Ozaukee County WI Died: December 10, 1918 - Marshfield WI Buried Neillsville Cemetery Section 1890 #76

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CREDIT - Biographical information Clark County WI History Website https://www.wiclarkcountyhistory.org/

----Source: 1918 History of Clark Co., WI, by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

CHARLES CORNELIUS, president of the First National Bank of Neillsville and interested in several of the leading financial institutions in St. Paul and Minneapolis,. has been an influential figure in Clark County life for over four decades, and has won a commanding position of respect and importance. His efforts at beautifying Neillsville will be held in grateful remembrance for generations to come. Born on an isolated farm among the woods of Grandville Township, Ozaukee County, this state, Jan. 1854, son of Conrad and Amelia (Hentschel) Cornelius, he was taken to Sheboygan County as a young boy, and was reared to manhood in a picturesque home on the banks of the Sheboygan River. There, attending school and working on a farm, he received much of that love of beauty which was to characterize his later life. As a youth he received the groundwork of his mercantile and salesmanship experience as clerk in a store at Glenbeulah, and as a sewing machine, piano and organ agent.

It was in 1876 that he came to Clark County, making his way on foot from Marshfield to Mapleworks, near the present site of Granton. With keen business acumen he foresaw the future possibilities of the county, and accordingly, purchased the little Grange store there and started to build up the hamlet by bringing in several skilled artisans. In time he added to his growing business the sale of agricultural machinery and implements, and established a branch of this department at Neillsville, renting a barn on the site of his present bank. This branch became of such importance, that in 1887 he decided to devote his entire attention to it, and accordingly sold out his Mapleworks business and moved to Neillsville.

His acquaintance throughout the county rapidly increased, his fair dealing and companionable disposition won him many friends, and in the fall of 1896 he was elected by a good majority to the office of county registrar of deeds, a position he filled so acceptably that he was three times re-elected. In the meantime he acquired extensive timberland interests in Oregon, and in 1904 he resigned his office to give these holdings more of his attention.

In 1907 he removed to Boston, Mass., with his family in order that his daughter might have the advantage of the excellent educational opportunities in music of that city. While there, he himself took advanced courses in commerce and finance at the Boston Commercial Business College, in order to thoroughly perfect himself in the banking business, in which he had determined to embark. With this preparation he returned to Neillsville and laid his plans. Purchasing the site of his former place of business from P. J. Walk, he started the erection of his present sightly bank building in 1909, and two years later added a duplicate building at the south, so that it is now a commodious structure, housing the bank and a store on its first floor, and a series of modern offices on the second floor. In front of this building he placed an ornamental clock, which furnishes the municipal time of the city, and chimes every quarter hour. At the same time that he started his bank building he purchased a commanding site on a rise of land in the southern limits of the city, and started the erection of his beautiful home.

The First National Bank, the first and only national bank in the county, opened its doors Jan. 17, 1910, with Mr. Cornelius as its president, founder and active manager. For four years previous to this, he had been vice president of the Commercial State Bank of Neillsville. He helped to organize, and was president of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Greenwood, and aided in the organization of the farmers Exchange Bank of Thorp. He is now vice president of the Continental State Bank of Minneapolis, on the board of directors of the Exchange State Bank of South St. Paul, and a stockholder in the Mercantile State Bank of Minneapolis and in the Peoples Bank of St. Paul, all in Minnesota. He is president of the Wisconsin-Louisiana Land Company, which has extensive holdings in timber lands in Richland Parish, Louisiana. In Neillsville he helped to organize the Farmers Co-operative Elevator & Lumber Co. and the Neillsville Canning Factory, and was influential in advancing the local interests of the Oatman Condensery which was established in Neillsville in 1916.

For several years, Mr. Cornelius served on the city council. Fraternally he is a member of the Neillsville Lodge, No. 63, A. F. & A. M., Neillsville Chapter, No. 66, R. A. M., Neillsville Comandery No. 36, K. T., and Marshfield Lodge, No. 665, B. P. 0. E., as well as an honorary member of the Beavers at Neillsville His activities in these various directions have made him a strong factor in the commercial, business and social development of the community and his reputation stands high as a capable man of affairs.

Mr. Cornelius was married at Mapleworks, this county, Sept. 9, 1886, to Theresa A. Nitzche, born in Fillmore Township, Washington County, this state, daughter of Carl and Amalia Nitzche. Carl Nitzche was successfully engaged in the milling and bakery business in Germany before bringing his family to this country, and consequently had a good start here.

Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius have one daughter, Lydia, now the wife of Raymond A. Clements. Mrs. Cornelius has been an able and sympathetic helpmate in all of Mr. Cornelius' various undertakings. Both are members of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, and are active in Christian Science Circles in Neillsville. Both are also active in the affairs of the Eastern Star at Neillsville. Their greatest delight is in their home. This beautiful structure is the handsomest residence in Clark County. It is finished in Colonial style, and furnished with every comfort and convenience that good taste can devise. From its windows, a beautiful view of the surrounding country may be seen, while its spreading lawns, with shrubbery, flowers and hedges make one of the beauty spots of the city. In connection with the home, Mr. Cornelius has established a park, with an artistic fountain, pretty walks, and growing trees, a tribute to his public spirit and love of nature. He has also planting an orchard, and in other ways beautified the entire section in which his home is located.

Cornelius, Charles (4 Jan 1854 - 10 Dec 1918)

Charles Cornelius, on of Clark County, Wisconsin's best known citizens and whose acquaintance and business relations extended far beyond its borders, was born on a pioneer farm in Grandville Township, Ozaukee Co., Wis., Jan. 4, 1854. With his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Cornelius, he went, when a small boy to Sheboygan Co. and there grew to manhood on a farm on the banks of Sheboygan River. When a young man he clerked in a store in Glenbeulah and took up the business of selling pianos, organs and machinery. In 1876 he came to Maple Works, now Granton, Clark County, Wis., walking through the wilderness from Marshfield. At Maple Works he purchased a store and took an active part in building up the little community. His business branched out into various lines and he soon became widely acquainted throughout the county. Sept. 9, 1886, Mr. Cornelius was married at Maple Works to Miss Theresa Nitzche, who with their daughter Lydia, Mrs. R. A. Clemens, survive him. In 1887 he sold out at Maple Works and moved to Neillsville, engaging extensively in the machinery business. In 1896 he was elected Register of Deeds of Clark County, and was three times reelected.

For a number of these years Mr. Cornelius had been investing in real estate and in 1904 resigned from office to devote his time to his various holdings. In 1907 he moved to Boston, where the family spent a year or more, to give the daughter the advantage of special musical instruction, Mr. Cornelius himself taking an advanced course in commerce and finance in the Boston Commercial College to prepare himself for the banking business. On his return to Neillsville he purchased the corner where the First National Bank now stands and proceeded to organize the bank and erect the building. He has been the bank's president since it was organized and during much of the time has been active in promoting its interests. He has besides this been active in organizing other banks and promoting other lines of business. He helped to organize the Farmers and Merchants Bank at Greenwood and was its president and also aided in organizing the Farmers Exchange Bank at Thorp and was a stockholder and director of several banks in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Besides extensive holdings of timberland in the West he was also president of the Wisconsin- Louisiana Land Co., with large holdings in the South. Through him many of his old friends and neighbors were enabled to make profitable investments.

His capacity for business was but one side of his character. In early life he had known toil and sacrifice and yet through picturesque surroundings he had acquired a love for the beautiful. To satisfy his longings for these things he built a beautiful home and took great pleasure in beautifying it and its grounds. The change in his condition from the comparative poverty of youth to a considerable degree of wealth, had no disagreeable effect on his character; he was genial, whole hearted and generous; he loved little children, and over and over again went out of his way to do some little act of kindness for them. He belived in porsperity and had a pardonable pride in the success of his various lines of business, but he never looked down on a poor man or woman because of their poverty, nor said a word to wound the feelings of anyone if it could be avoided. In the hearts of hundreds of the people of Clark County his memory will long be cherished.

Mr. Cornelius was a prominent member of various Masonic orders, and he and his family were members of the First Church of Christ Scientist of Boston, Mass.

Mr. Cornelius died at Marshfield Hospital Dec. 10, 1918. The funeral took place Saturday afternoon at the residence, the simple Christian Science ceremonies being observed.