San
Joaquin County
Biographies
WILLIAM CORELL
For the past fifty years William
Corell has been a resident of San Joaquin County and has been an eyewitness and
an active participant in the development and prosperity of his locality. The ranch of 200 acres, which he purchased in
1875, was in timber and underbrush; this he cleared and first farmed to grain
and it is now in beautiful orchards and vineyards. He was born in Tazewell County, Virginia, November
5, 1839, a son of Joshua and Jane (Wynn) Corell. The father was born in 1794 and when he grew
to manhood was an owner of a plantation in Virginia. There were ten children in the family: Mary Ann, Andrew Jackson, Josiah Wynn,
Rebecca, John Wynn, Reese B., William, James Oscar, David Campbell, and Samuel
Joshua. William, the subject of this
sketch, and James Oscar are the two survivors of this large family. The father passed away in 1873.
William Corell received a public
school education in his native county and grew to young manhood on his father’s
plantation. On March 11, 1869, in
Tazewell County, he was married to Miss Emily Thompson, a native of the same
county, a daughter of James and Visa (Harison)
Thompson, both natives of Virginia, descendants of an old family of Virginia
pioneers. Two daughters, Helen and Mary,
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Corell before they left Virginia; the other three of
the five children were born in San Joaquin County, James, W. O. and Harvey. In 1872 the family removed from Virginia to
California and first settled at Kiles Corner,
southeast of New Hope, where he farmed for three years on 160 acres; then he
purchased 200 acres of raw land two miles north of Lockeford on the Elliott
Road. Gradually the timber was removed
and the ranch planted to grain and later was developed to orchards and
vineyards. This 200 acre ranch has been
equally divided among his five children.
Thirteen years ago Mr. Corell moved to Lodi where he resides at 414
Forest Avenue. His son, W. O., was born
at New Hope February 4, 1876, and attended the Brunswick district school north
of Lockeford and has always been identified with his father in farming
pursuits. Mr. Corell became a Mason in
Tazewell County, Virginia, and is now a member of the Woodbridge Lodge; also a
member of the Eastern Star and his two daughters are both past worthy matrons
of the Eastern Star Lodge at Woodbridge.
As the greater portion of his life has been spent in San Joaquin County,
he is widely known among its citizens and is held in high regard.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
723-724. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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