George Henry Corliss

BY E. C. FINLEY, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

MONG those who have rendered invaluable service both to their own day and generation and to those who live after them, the name of George Henry Corliss should be carefully and lovingly memorialized. Rising as he did by sheer ability and courage, and giving to the world the rich harvest of his mechanical and inventive genius, his was one of those rarely gifted natures which combine with idealism, imagination, and creative genius the practical ability to put foundations under "castles in Spain" and to make dreams come true.

The Corliss steam engine and the Corliss Steam Engine Company are convincing memorials to the achievements of Mr. Corliss as an inventor and as a captain of industry, and these have carried his name and his fame literally throughout the civilized world. Though his death in 1888 brought to a close an active life which had passed its seventieth year, it removed from Providence, Rhode Island, one of its most prominent and highly honored citizens, and from the world-at-large one of its acknowledged benefactors, the results of whose labors remain. Mr. Corliss was a descendant of one of New England's oldest families, tracing lineage from George Corliss, as follows:

(1) George Corliss, the founder of the family in this country, was born in Devonshire, England, in 1617, a son of Thomas Corliss. Before he attained his majority he, like many others of his time, turned hopeful eyes toward the opportunities of the great new Western World. Like his famous descendant in the seventh generation, he knew how to make dreams come true, so in 1639 he embarked on his great adventure, and came to New England, where he settled first in Newbury, Massachusetts, but soon after removed to Haverhill, settling in 1640 in the West Parish, on a farm later known as the Poplar Lawn Farm. The remainder of his life was spent in Haverhill, where he was one of the earliest settlers, and where his name appears on a list of freemen in 1645. He was selectman in 1648-52-57-69-79, and constable in 1650. His will was dated

October 18, 1686, and he died on the following day. He became the owner of a fine farm at Haverhill, and it was here that several generations of the family successfully carried on the occupation of farming and finally died, George Corliss and his son and grandson, by a strange coincidence, being claimed by death while sitting in the same chair. George Corliss married, October 26, 1645, at Haverhill, Joanna Davis, daughter of Thomas Davis.

(II) John Corliss, son of George and Joanna (Davis) Corliss, was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, March 4, 1648, and died February 17, 1698. He inherited the homestead from his father, and his name is among those who took the oath of allegiance at Haverhill, November 28, 1677. He was also among those soldiers paid by the town, August 24, 1676, for serving in the Indian wars. He died intestate, February 17, 1698, and the inventory of his estate was filed August 1, 1698. He married Mary Wilford, born November 18, 1667, daughter of Gilbert Wilford, of Haverhill, and she married (second) William Whittaker, of Haverhill.

(III) John (2) Corliss, son of John (1) and Mary (Wilford) Corliss, was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, March 14, 1686, and died in 1766. He resided on the old homestead, which he willed to his son, but he outlived his son, and the estate was eventually inherited by his grandsons. We are told that in appearance he was finely proportioned, and more than six feet in height, possessing a very powerful voice, and remarkable health until after he reached the age of seventy-five years. His children were all well educated and liberally provided for by him. He married, in 1711, Ruth Haynes, who was born February 7, 1691, and died in 1787.

(IV) John (3) Corliss, son of John (2) and Ruth (Haynes) Corliss, was born September 12, 1715, on the Corliss farm at Haverhill, and died there November 15, 1753. He was a prosperous farmer in Haverhill all his life. His estate was settled in June, 1754, by his widow, Abiah Corliss, and Joseph Haynes, of Haverhill. The inventory of the estate was dated December 29, 1753, and in it is mentioned a negro girl valued at forty pounds, whom Joseph Haynes, above mentioned, received from the estate and presented to his wife in 1739. John Corliss married (first), November 30, 1737, Abigail Mitchell, born May 22, 1720, died January 4, 1753, daughter of James and Martha Mitchell, of Haverhill. He married (second), September 13, 1753, Abiah Whittier.

(V) Captain John (4) Corliss, son of John (3) and Abigail (Mitchell) Corliss, was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, May 8, 1747, and died at Easton, New York, May 27, 1822. He lived at Haverhill, Massachusetts, and Haverhill, New Hampshire, until about 1790 or 1793, and then removed to New York State, starting for what is now Galway in Saratoga County. When he reached the place now known as Schuylerville, he found the Hudson River frozen over, but the ice was too thin to cross on, so he changed his plans, settling instead in Easton, Washington County, New York, where his youngest son was born. Before he moved to New York State he had been a prosperous farmer. The depreciation of currency after the Revolution made a great difference in his fortunes, and that which followed the War of 1812 proved another blow, but through indomitable perseverance he was able, with the help of his sons, to make good his losses and place his finances again on a sound basis. After some years he gave the care of his New York farm to his sons, Mitchell and John, who during the War of 1812 purchased about six hundred acres of land on the west side of the town of Saratoga, in addition to the land owned on the east side of the river. Part of this land belonged to the Van Vechtens, an old Knickerbocker family. The sons were engaged in lumbering, in addition to farming.

In appearance, Captain John Corliss was of large stature, heavy and powerful; in manner dignified and courtly. He was a gentleman of the finest principles, and noted for a fine sense of honor. He was an unusually fine horseman, and an imposing figure on horseback. He served with distinction in the American Revolution, from July 15, 1780, to October 10, 1780, as a member of Captain Jonathan Ayer's company, Colonel Nathaniel Wade's regiment. His wife was Lydia (Haynes) Corliss, of Haverhill, who was born January 3, 1750, and died July 8, 1823.

(VI) Dr. Hiram Corliss, son of Captain John (4) and Lydia (Haynes) Corliss, was born at Easton, New York, October 21, 1793. He was a physician, and became a very prominent figure in Easton and the surrounding region, where he practiced medicine until he was over eighty years old. He married (first) Susan Sheldon, born May 28, 1794, died April 5, 1843. He married (second) Alma H. Sampson, born in 1804, died June 5, 1858. He married (third) Maria Cowan, born August 12, 1811.

(VII) Hon. George Henry Corliss, son of Dr. Hiram and Susan (Sheldon) Corliss, was born at Easton, New York, June 2, 1817, and died in Providence, Rhode Island, February 21, 1888. His early educational advantages were such as could be obtained in the village school, where the quick eager mind of the future inventor and captain of industry quickly absorbed and assimilated all that was to be obtained, and he was but fourteen years of age when he turned from his studies and began his business career. Like so many of the great Americans, Mr. Corliss made his beginning in the general store as a clerk at Greenwich, where for some three years he remained, gaining experience, meeting his immediate financial needs, and dreaming of the future. As he grew older he came to feel more and more the great need for further study, and with characteristic energy and directness determined to achieve this goal in spite of every obstacle. Accordingly, in 1834, he gave up his position in the store and entered an academy in Castleton, Vermont, where he remained the full four years and proved himself a student of intelligence and a scholar of attainments. As yet, however, the line of work in which he was later to become so famous was entirely in the future, and with the exception of a youthful exploit in the planning and building of a temporary bridge across Batten Kill, he had displayed no talent in that direction. His sane judgment and practical directness, as well as his general initiative, were at once displayed, however, for upon completing his studies at the academy, having then attained his majority, he returned to the business with which he was already familiar, only this time as an independent enterprise, and established early in 1838 a general store of his own at Greenwich, New York. For nearly three years he continued in this line with considerable success and actually passed his twenty-fourth birthday without ever having seen the inside of a machine shop. In these years, however, he had begun to come to a more definite knowledge of himself, and his tastes and opinions began to form and crystallize. More and more the mechanical side of every question interested him and he found himself solving mechanical problems and devising mechanical contrivances almost spontaneously. Finally, about 1841, he decided to devote his time to the line of activity which was so obviously his bent, and in spite of the very uncertain character of the returns which a young and unknown inventor can count upon, gave his