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CORNELIUS E. CASTLE
Vol. 3, p. 1305-1306

Of the leading lawyers of Wagoner, none is more generally admired
and esteemed for personal character and professional ability than
Cornelius E. Castle, who has been identified with the Oklahoma bar
since 1897. He has exhibited a masterly conduct of cases entrusted to
him as a private practitioner, and his reputation is also due to his
efficient and faithful discharge of duties as city and county
attorney, and he has been county attorney for Wagoner County since
1912.

Born in Webster County, Mississippi, December 29, 1870, he comes
from excellent American stock, and is a son of Rev. Thomas W. and
Josephine (Corkern) Castle. Rev. Thomas W. Castle was born in North
Carolina, a son of William Castle, a Virginian, and a member of an
old family of Colonial Virginia. William Castle was the son of a
Revolutionary soldier, in which struggle five Castle brothers were
soldiers in the Continental line. The Castles are of English origin,
with an intermingling of Scotch-Irish blood, and the name is now
numerously represented in America, where its early founders
established homes in New England and Virginia. Josephine (Corkern)
Castle was born in St. Helena Parish of Louisiana and came of Scotch-
Irish parentage.

When a boy of thirteen years  went to Mississippi.
He early became a minister of the Methodist faith, and after serving
four years as a local preacher joined the Mississippi Conference. His
work was done in Mississippi and covered a long period of years, and
he was still engaged in active ministerial labors when he met a
accidental death at the age of seventy-four. Of his eight children
two are deceased.

Cornelius Esco Castle grew up in Webster County, Mississippi,
acquired a public school education, attended a local college at
Walthall, Mississippi, and finished his literary training in the
National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, where he was graduated
Bachelor of Arts in 1893. Like many successful lawyers, his first
work was done as a teacher, and it was as a teacher that he was first
known to old Indian Territory. While teaching he was also studying
law, and in 2895 he graduated from the law department of the
University of Michigan with the degree LL.B. He was thereupon
admitted to the bar of that state, but instead of beginning private
practice he came to Indian Territory, where he was made principal of
the graded school of Hartshorne. In the summer of 1897 he became
associated with other leading educators in conducting at South
McAlester what became a noted normal institute for the preparation of
teachers, the first of its kind in Indian Territory. While at
McAlester, Mr. Castle was admitted to the bar of Indian Territory,
and in 1897 established his residence at Wagoner and began practice.
In the following year he was elected city recorder of Wagoner, which
was the first incorporated town in Indian Territory. Later he served
two terms as city attorney of Wagoner, and in 1912 was elected county
attorney, an office to which he was re-elected in 1914 for another
term of two years.

His work and leadership as a citizen have been on a par with his
ability and standing as a lawyer. For years he has been one of the
leaders in the local democratic party. It is with special pride that
he can always remember his work as a member of the joint and single
statehood committee from the time of its organization until its ends
were attained, and he continuously served as its secretary or
chairman. The single statehood committee, as may be explained for the
benefit of future generations, was a non-political organization of
citizens of both Oklahoma and Indian territories for the purpose of
securing joint statehood for the two territories rather than two
separate states. That organization stood from first to last for the
"twin territories" to come into statehood together and with equal
representation in the constitutional convention. This was
accomplished after a vigorous, continuous struggle and campaign of
education lasting nine years. During this campaign for statehood, and
since that noble result has been accomplished, Mr. Castle has always
stood firm for what he has believed to be the best good for his
adopted state and its interests. He is a sterling citizen and both
the county and state could profit by such leadership as he has always
given.

Mr. Castle is a Master Mason, and is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, in which he has served as a member of the
board of missions of the East Oklahoma Conference, and as lay leader
for the Vinita District. He has an attractive home life, Mrs. Castle
being a woman of refinement and culture, and before their marriage
they were classmates in the local college at Walthall, Mississippi,
and she was valedictorian of her class at graduation. Mrs. Castle
before her marriage, which was celebrated in 1896, was Miss Elizabeth
Arnold. They are the parents of two children: Ruth and Mary.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Charmaine Keith, October 4, 1998.