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He was born in Staten Island New York
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At age 11 he dropped out of school to work with his father on his ferry boat.
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At age 16 he bought his own ferry boat and started his own business.
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He married his cousin Sophia Johnson and they had 13 children together.
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He worked as a ferry captain for a wealthy businessman.
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In the late 1820's he went into his own ferry boat business.
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In the 1830's he built profitable shipping lines in the New York region.
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In the 1840's he constructed a large brick house for his family.
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In the 1850's he launched a steamboat service.
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Formed the Accessory Transit Company to transport passengers from New York to San Francisco.
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In the 1860's he shifted from the boat industry and went into the railroad industry.
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The Manhattans Grand Central Depot was opened and Cornelius was the driving force behind it.
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He gave $1 million to build Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
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He past away in Manhattan, New York.
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When this opened it took over the Grand Central Depot which was later torn down.
