City History

A little Cornelius history . . .

Cornelius sits on land that was historically occupied by the Tualatin Kalapuya, or Atfalati (ah-TFAL-uh-tee) people. The Atfalati lived throughout the Tualatin River watershed and their territory included the modern towns of Cornelius, Forest Grove, Gaston, Hillsboro, North Plains, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, and Sherwood, and current unincorporated areas of Washington and Yamhill counties. The Atfalati were one branch of the Kalapuya tribes and spoke the northernmost dialect of the Kalapuyan languages. In the mid-1800’s, Euro-Americans began settling in the Tualatin Valley which led to dramatic social disruptions.

In 1845, Benjamin Cornelius immigrated to Oregon with his family, traveling with Joseph Meek. His son, Colonel Thomas R. Cornelius, settled on a 1,300-acre farm in present-day Cornelius in 1871. Over time he built many structures and businesses along the railroad, including a warehouse that became a boon to the farmers in the area. Later through common consent of the townsfolk the city was named after Col. Cornelius in honor of his many contributions to the development of the community.

Cornelius was incorporated in the Spring of 1893, with the first Council meeting held on May 5 of that year. The officers of the Council included the Mayor, four Councilors, a Treasurer, a Recorder and a Marshall --All originally served without pay. The Marshall was the first paid staff position with a $2.50 per month salary for patrolling until 9:00pm and looking after two jail cells and their prisoners. In 1898, the town’s population was 400.