James Corbin Grant County, New Mexico

James Corbin, who is engaged in the insurance and real estate business in Silver City, where he is also notary public and where he formerly served as probate judge, was born in Newport, New Hampshire, March 24, 1838. He is a brother of Austin Corbin and a son of Austin and Mary (Chase) Corbin, the former a native of Somers, Connecticut, and the latter of Claremont, New Hampshire.

James Corbin acquired his early education in Newport, New Hampshire, and afterward attended the South Woodstock (Vermont) College. He made an early trip to Iowa in 1856, his brother Austin being at that time a lawyer and banker of Davenport. He afterward returned to New York, and in 1864 came to New Mexico on account of his health. In 1859 he had started for Pike's Peak, but did not reach his destination and returned to Davenport, Iowa. At the time of the outbreak of the Civil war he was in Chicago, Illinois. Because of his health he afterward returned to the east, where he read law, and following his arrival in New Mexico he was admitted to the bar.

Locating in Santa Fe, Mr. Corbin became a clerk in the law office of Samuel P. Cleaver and of Merrill Ashurst. He was later engrossing clerk in the territorial legislature, and in the succeeding summer started for Mexico or California, but instead stopped at Fort Craig, where he engaged in clerking for United States until fall. He thence went to Fort Selden, where he did clerical work. He was next at Fort Cummings, and a year later, in 1866, went to Fort Bayard, where he spent most of his time until coming to Silver City in 1870. He has made his home continuously in Grant County since 1865, and has been engaged to a greater or less extent in independent mining ventures, and still owns valuable mining property. He has also conducted a real estate business for several years, negotiating important realty transfers. It was Judge Corbin and associates who discovered the celebrated chloride mines in Grant County, one of which produced silver to the value of over a million dollars.

In his political views and affiliations Judge Corbin is a stalwart Democrat. He was elected and served as probate judge of Grant County and has also been mayor of Silver City. He was married in 1885 to Mrs. Emma I. (Cross) Adams.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.

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