The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-09-22
ID. w. CORNING DIES SUD-
DENLY AT HOME
Came to WaShburn in 1883 Be-
fore Railroad Was Built to
This Point. In Business
Here 3S Years.

1t was with great deal of sor-
row that the people of Washburn
learned on Tuesday morning of the
sudden death of Daniel Webster
Corning, Washburn's first settler,
which occurred Monday night. Mr..
Corning passed away suddenly after
returning from a meeting of the
Washburn Commercial and Credit As
sociation, and was found lying on the
floor of the dining room at his home
by his relatives when they arose
Tuesday morning. 1t is thought
that death was due to a cerebral hem
orrhage which Mr.. Corning suffered
as he was retiring for the night, for
he had started to undress his feet
and had apparently slide from the
chair to the floor after the attack.
Mr.. Corning left home at about
eight o'clock to attend meeting to
be held at fhe Commercial Club.
Those who were present at the meet
ing stated that Mr.. Corning was in
unusually good spirits and discussed
business problems, as well as joked
with his fellow members. The meet
ing adjourned at about 10:30 o'clock
and Mr.. Corning left the meeting, in
company with Elmer Olson, for his
home. As he neared the Bayfield,
County Bank corner he decided to go
to his store to see that everything
was alright for the night, and leaving
the store went home. When Mr..
Olson left him he did not show any
signs whatever of illness, and it is
the supposition that he was strick-
en- after he sat dwn to take off his
shoes for the night.
The funeral for Mr.. Corning was
held from the late residence this
afternoon at 1:3O o'clock and from
the Congregational church at 2
o'clock, the services being in charge
of the Odd Fellows Lodge of which
Mr.. Corning was a lifelong men,
Der. Rev. George Waters of the
Congregational delivered the funeral
Sermon. Interment was in Wood
land cemetery in the family lot at
the side of his wife who died Sept. 23,
1908.
All business houses in the city were
closed during the hour of the fun
eral.
Daniel Webster Corning was born
at Manchester, New Hampshire,
Nov. 27, 1862, and had he lived un-
til November would have been 60
years of age. During his early life
he came to Wisconsin with his par
ents, locating at Portage City. He
was of the old Puritan stock, his
mother being decendent of Col.
John Golf and Major Webster of
revolutionary fame and of the great
statesman Daniel Webster. He was
a nephew of the late j. c. Webster,
author of the song Sweet Bye and
Bye" and other songs and poems.
In 1886 Mr.. Corning was married
to Miss Jessie L. Gustin at Campbell,
Minn..
When the Omaha railway was
built north from Spooner into Ash
land Mr. Corning was connected with
that company, having charge of the
store supplies. He arrived in Ash
land during the spring of 1888. The
village of Washburn was not then
in existence. Mfr. Corning's first
trip to the site of where Washburn
now stands was made on a fat bot
tom scow, across Chequamegon Bay
He was accompanied by several others
who came here to take soundings OF
the water on this side of the bay
During the day storm came up or
the bay an dthe trip back to Ash
land had to be abandoned and t he
party slept on the rocks along the
shore under some boards which haC
been carried in from the scow. Dur
ing the year 1888 Mr.. Corning de-
cided to locate in Washburn and he
opened up the first store on ground
back of the site of where his present
store now stands. He engaged il
a general line, and carried everything
from rubbers and socks to groceries
and medicines. That store was
called the Pioneer grocery.
Shortly following Messrs. Corning &
McQuade opened up the City Drug
store in the Wing Building on th'