Warren County Historical Society

Introduction to Tom Corwin

He was the prosecuting attorney of Warren County, a member of the Ohio General Assembly, a U.S. congressman, governor of Ohio, a U.S. senator, U.S. secretary of the treasury and President Lincoln’s minister to Mexico. He even was once seriously considered as a presidential candidate. Accounts of Thomas Corwin’s political career always refer to his eloquence and wit as a public speaker. His skill during political campaigns earned him the unofficial title of “king of the stump.” While serving in most of his political positions, his home was three blocks from here at 210 W. Main Street in what is known today as “The Corwin House.”

As you travel though our Warren County History Center, be on the lookout for the wooden stands with cabinet-like doors. They will be labeled “The Spirit of Tom Corwin” and have a picture of Corwin on the front. Although our many galleries, exhibits and rooms are fully enjoyable and informative on their own, when you open the Tom Corwin doors you will find that they tie the various parts of the history center together. This connection covers the period from the late 1790s to the1860s. From this information, you will learn how the topic depicted in a particular display relates to the life of one individual – Thomas Corwin, Warren County’s most famous favorite son.

Tom Corwin’s Pioneer days

Thomas Corwin was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky on July 29, 1794. Tom was one of nine children of Matthias and Patience Corwin. Before young Tom was five years old, he would live in three forest homes – two in Kentucky and one in Ohio. In 1798 problems with land titles in Kentucky forced Matthias to bring his immediate family – along with his mother, brothers and sisters – to the Turtle Creek Valley in the Ohio Territory. Matthias was following his brother Ichabod who had settled on the west bank of Turtle Creek in March of 1796. Ichabod had built a cabin and cleared 12 acres, as best he could, to plant corn. This was where the Berry School is now located on Broadway, about a few blocks north of here. In September of 1802, Ichabod and three other early settlers laid out the plans for the village of Lebanon.

Matthias and his family settled about a half mile northeast of the center of what is now Lebanon. He purchased 160 acres for $100. The cost came out to be a little less than 63 cents per acre. Matthias was a poor man. His quarter-section of land was small compared to many of his neighbors and, despite its very low price, it took him two years to pay it off.

While their neighbors held a house-raising for him and his family, Matthias went into the woods and killed several wild turkeys for the occasion. The cabin was situated within a primitive forest and surrounded by thick undergrowth of spice bush. These thickets were almost impenetrable. They had yellow flowers that appeared in the spring. By September small clusters of berries ripened to a deep red and were often used in place of Allspice in cooking. Boiling the leaves made a stimulating drink that could fight fevers, giving the shrub the added name of “fever bush.”

The next spring, a band of American Indians encamped on a hill near Matthias’s cabin. Other small groups of Indians were seen in the area for several years afterward. For the most part, the native tribes kept the peace, although they did steal Ichabod’s horses in the summer of 1796.

Tom Corwin’s father, Matthias, was an honest and fair man. He would hold several local and state positions, serving as one of Warren County’s first county commissioners, a justice of the peace and a member of the Ohio House, even serving as its speaker.

Tom Corwin’s Schooling

Soon after his family settled in the area in 1798, four-year-old Tom Corwin attended Francis Dunlavy’s subscription school. In subscription schools, parents would “subscribe” or sign up to have their child taught. Since cash money was rare, pioneers would pay the teacher by giving him bushels of corn or perhaps the use of a horse. If the schoolmaster needed a place to stay, they might pay him by allowing him to live with them. This was called “boarding round.”
Francis Dunlavy is recognized as being the first teacher in the entire Miami Valley. His school was located north of Turtle Creek on what is now West Main Street, where Lebanon’s water department is located. Dunlavy taught only boys. The school subjects included Latin and the higher mathematics, as well as what was called the “common branches” (reading, writing, spelling, grammar, arithmetic, etc.).
Tom walked more than a mile to the log cabin school. Tom was said to have memorized the entire alphabet on his very first day. But Tom was not “all work” at school. A classmate, Judge Amos Irvin of Centerville, Ohio, once recalled what it was like to attend school with the four-year-old. “Thomas Corwin [was] positively the worst boy I ever knew at school . . . his favorite amusement was knuckling. He would hold out his own hard fist and you might pummel it in vain, but let him get a blow at your knuckles and the cap would come off and you would fall back shaking your bleeding fingers.”
When Dunlavy left teaching to serve in the Northwest Territorial Legislature, Tom attended a school taught by the local Baptist preacher, Jacob Gregg. His formal education came to an end when he was about 12. His father, Matthias Corwin, could no longer afford to send him to school. Only Tom’s older brother, who was also named Matthias, received proper schooling. Tom later taught himself by reading his brother’s books.
Josiah Morrow pointed out in his 1896 book, “Life and Speeches of Thomas Corwin,” that the “three American statesmen who, without the aid of the academy or college, became most distinguished for popular eloquence were Patrick Henry, Henry Clay and Thomas Corwin.”

Tom Corwin ~ Farmer & ‘Wagon Boy’

As a boy, Tom Corwin’s chores on his father’s farm included taking wagonloads of produce to market in Cincinnati. Once the crops were sold, the wagons would be loaded with goods for Lebanon’s merchants and returned home. The roads were mere traces through the woods with few bridges. The soil was generally fresh and often became nearly impassable. It was common for five or six teams to travel together for safety.
Recalling this time in Tom’s life, one of his good friends and a one-time law partner, A.H. Dunlevy wrote: “He drove his four-horse team with great skill, and; as these wagoners camped at night in the woods together, this young wagon boy, by his ready wit and humor, contributed greatly to their entertainment.” Dunlevy went on to say, “If any team stalled in the deep roads . . . Corwin’s skill in managing a team was called into requisition to get out of the difficulty.”
During the War of 1812, supplies were desperately needed by the American troops under General William Henry Harrison in the “St. Mary’s country” of northwestern Ohio. Tom, then barely 18, decided he needed to help supply the soldiers, which included his older brother, Matthias, who was the captain of a company of light infantry. Dunlevy recorded that Tom “hastened with his father’s team, well loaded, to aid in this patriotic duty.”
Because of this trip and his many successful travels as a boy to Cincinnati, Tom was given the nickname of “Wagon Boy,” a moniker he would bear for his entire political career.
While driving a team of horses one day, Tom injured his knee. He was unable to perform hard, physical labor for several months. Tom passed the time reading and even acquired some knowledge of Latin.
Tom would work on his father’s farm until 1814. That year he began to work for his brother, Matthias, who had just been admitted to the bar and had become Warren County’s clerk of courts.

Tom Corwin ~ Lawyer

In 1815, 21-year-old Tom Corwin began studying law in the office of Joshua Collett. Collett, who was born in Berkeley County in what is now West Virginia, arrived in Lebanon in June of 1803 and he became the town’s first lawyer. Described as “modest, diffident, unassuming and unpretending, to a degree seldom met with,” Collett’s knowledge of the law and sound judgment made him a successful attorney superior to many of the more polished and eloquent lawyers practicing in Cincinnati. In 1807, he was appointed prosecuting attorney for the First Judicial Circuit, which was comprised of eight counties including Warren. He held the position for ten years and later became a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court.

In May of 1817, Tom Corwin was admitted to the bar and began his law practice. He soon became well known as an able attorney. His distinction was due to his remarkable gift of eloquence and wit rather than any legal brilliance. His voice – although not deep or powerful, but rather musical and clear in nature – could be easily heard over a large crowd. The following year, Tom succeeded his mentor, Collett, and became prosecuting attorney. He would hold this position until 1831, even while serving in the Ohio Legislature.

Over the years, Tom would be in law partnerships with some of the best legal minds in Lebanon, the county seat of Warren County. Some of these firms were formed after he returned from holding office in either Columbus or Washington. Tom’s partners included his good friend, A.H. Dunlevy, who succeeded him as prosecuting attorney; A.G. McBurney who would be elected Ohio’s lieutenant governor in 1865; George Sage, his son-in-law and future U.S. district court judge; and Durbin Ward who also would serve as Warren County’s prosecutor and would be the second owner of the Glendower Mansion in Lebanon.

Tom Corwin & Lebanon’s First Bank

On November 13, 1822, Tom Corwin married Sarah Ross in the back parlor of a house on West Main Street in Lebanon. The house was the home of Tom’s future brother-in-law, Phineas Ross.

Phineas was one of the first dozen or so lawyers in the county. Although he never held important positions like his brother-in-law, Tom, Phineas served his community well. When the first bank in Warren County – The Lebanon Miami Banking Company – was founded, he became its first cashier.

The first board of directors of the bank was elected in April of 1814. They included Tom’s mentor, Joshua Collett, and Phineas’ brother, Thomas Ross. The board pledged to “encourage trade, to promote a spirit of improvement in agriculture, manufacturers, arts and sciences, [and] to aid in efforts of honest industry.”

The bank issued its own one, three, five, and ten dollar denomination banknotes, as well as small “tickets” for 6¼ cents, 12½, 25 and 50 cents. The Lebanon Miami Banking Company was in good standing with other financial institutions in the Miami Valley, but other banks did not fare so well. The bank found itself trading its own good currency for bad.

The board met on February 2, 1819 and resolved: “That it is now expedient for this institution to close its business as soon as practicable.” The process was slow, with the bank closing its doors for good in 1822.

Tom Corwin Defends the Shakers

In the early morning of March 27, 1805, Malcolm Worley became the first Shaker west of the Allegheny Mountains. He had listened all night to the three darkly dressed strangers who arrived a few days earlier at the settlement of Turtle Creek, four miles west of Lebanon. According to Shaker tradition, in front of his wife Peggy and his nine children, Worley stood and said, “Brethren are you there?” To which the Shakers replied, “We are.” Then grasping their hands, he stated, “All I have is yours!” Around Worley’s small farm grew Union Village, the largest Shaker community in the West at more than 4,000 acres.
Like many early Shaker converts, Worley’s whole family joined the separatist religious group. And, also like many early converts, he eventually gave up ownership of his land to the Believers. His farm became the location for a group of Shakers known as the Center Family. As the name implies, it was at the center of Union Village.
On August 3, 1844, Worley died at age 82. After his death, however, three of his surviving children, who had been raised at Union Village and had lived there as adults, sued the Shakers. They wanted to recover the property their father had deeded to Union Village in 1808. Their grounds for such a request were that Worley was insane when he gave it to the Shakers. Such a loss of land would make a gaping hole in the middle of Union Village, not to mention leaving a psychological scar on the members of the Society.
The suit dragged on for four years until 1848, when it went before the Ohio Supreme court with former Governor Tom Corwin representing the Shakers. Tom argued:
“George Fox wore leather breeches and did many eccentric things; Martin Luther threw his inkstand at the devil, but Quakers will not admit that George Fox was crazy, and Protestants will not admit that Martin Luther was crazy; neither can it be allowed that Malcolm Worley was crazy because by a deed drawn by himself he chose to give his property to this peculiar people.”
With the aid of Tom Corwin and his brilliant defense, Union Village won its case and remained intact.

Tom Corwin’s Home & Family

Above the hand-carved mantel in the back parlor of the house at 210 West Main Street, there once hung a massive, oblong gilt-framed mirror. On November 13, 1822, in front of this mirror and fireplace, Tom and Sarah Ross Corwin were married. In 1855, on the exact same spot, Tom and Sarah’s daughter, Evaline, married George R. Sage. There too, in 1883, the Corwin’s granddaughter, Carrie Sage, wed James Madison Burns. Built in 1818, the house was originally the home of Sarah’s brother, Phineas Ross.
In the summer of 1833, The Western Star published the announcement stating that there were “several suits” against Phineas, and that a Sheriff’s Sale would be held on August 6th. In the list of properties to be sold were “about five acres, more or less – taken as the property of Phineas Ross.” On those five acres stood his Main Street home.
The purchaser of the property was Tom Corwin, Phineas’ brother-in-law. The winning bid was $2,333 ⅓. Tom and his family did not move into the house until the1840s. It is likely Phineas, his wife and their seven children continued to live there. In January 1839, Phineas died at the age 45.
The house had 16 rooms. As you entered on the left the first room was the library, which Tom used as a law office. Behind it were the dining room and then the kitchen. To the right was the front parlor, which was used as a reception room for guests. Then came the large 20×20 back parlor, the location of all the weddings.
Upstairs were seven bedrooms and the servants’ quarters. Connecting the two floors was the spacious center hall and its imposing, winding mahogany staircase.
Tom and Sarah had five children: Catherine, born in 1827; William Henry, born in 1829; Evaline, born in 1831; Maria Louisa, born in 1834; and Caroline (Carrie), born in 1836.
The mantel on display here is from The Corwin House and was original to it.

Tom Corwin’s Mission to Mexico

In 1861, during his first week as president, Abraham Lincoln met with Congressman Tom Corwin. They discussed who should head the new U.S. mission to Mexico. With the Civil War looming, Lincoln feared the Confederate States might still be able to trade cotton through Mexico despite a possible Union naval blockade of the South. The president agreed with Secretary of State Seward when he wrote that the post in Mexico was the most “important one within the whole circle of our international relations.”

Three days after their meeting, on March 12, President Lincoln nominated Corwin for the position of “Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States Government” to Mexico. Tom was the perfect choice. His speech on the Senate floor, back in 1847, was well remembered, especially in Mexico. He labeled the Mexican War as a war of “conquest” on behalf of the U.S. He also predicted the newly gained territory would lead to a war between the states over slavery.

On April 11, 1861, 67-year-old Tom Corwin set sail from New York for Mexico. His son, William, went along as his secretary.

Tom did not enjoy Mexico. That September, in a letter to his wife, Sarah, he wrote, “How utterly lonely my life, though constantly surrounded by strangers and pretended friends. . . Bad as . . .the conditions of our own almost ruined country, it is still quite a Paradise to this.”

Even though he did not speak Spanish, Tom did win over the Mexican people and the friendship of the president of the Mexican republic, Benito Juarez. This was much to the chagrin of the Confederate envoy to Mexico, Colonel John Pickett.

A young American lady in Mexico at the time recalled, “[Corwin’s] was an interesting personality. Tall, stout, and somewhat awkward in gait, . . . his kindly smile and natural charm of voice and manner, however, soon attracted and held those who at first found him unengaging.”

Tom tried to find ways to aid the Juarez government. His position became rather awkward when France’s Napoleon III established Archduke Maximilian of Austria upon the imperial throne in Mexico. Although Tom officially had to remain neutral, he made an effort to not communicate with French forces.

Tom sailed home in May of 1864. Although Tom felt he was not totally successful, Confederate Brigadier General Hamilton P. Bee did reluctantly conclude, “Through the influence of Mr. Corwin . . . the tone of the Juarez Government . . . has been hostile to our cause, and at his dictation various measures have been initiated, calculated to annoy and injure us . . . they have finally decreed martial law on the frontiers, [and] forbid the export or import of any article whatever from Texas.”

This feathered picture was a gift from the Republic of Mexico’s president, Benito Juarez, to Tom Corwin and hung for many years in the library of The Corwin House on Main Street.