The story of Laura Mae Corrigan, a Cleveland melodrama turned heroine's tale

The marker in Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery at the grave of Laura Mae Corrigan and her husband, multi-millionaire steel company owner James Corrigan, gives no clue about the couple's scandal-pocked life, Laura's improbable rise to the top of London society, or her highly decorated relief work during World War II in Europe. The couple's story, though, certainly rivals any fictional soap opera with its hints of scandal, financial intrigue, and wartime sacrifice.

Laura, the daughter of handyman Charles and Emma Whitlock, was born near Stevens Point, Wisconsin, on January 2, 1879.

She worked as a waitress in Chicago as a teenager, where she met her first husband, physician Duncan R. MacMartin.

Meanwhile, James William Corrigan, was born on April 7, 1880, the only son of James C. Corrigan, founder of one of Cleveland's major steel companies.

The elder Corrigan partnered with John D. Rockefeller's brother Frank to purchase iron ore fields. John loaned the pair money by taking a mortgage on the land, then foreclosing on it and selling the land himself for good money. The experience ruined Corrigan financially, but he soon started a steel company with Judge Stevenson Burke.

Tragedy struck in 1900 when the elder Corrigan's wife Ida, their three daughters, and a grandchild died the when their yacht sank in Lake Erie.

Young Jim became an idle playboy, so his father made his bookkeeper Price McKinney partner in the newly renamed Corrigan-McKinney Steel Company.

The elder Corrigan died in 1908, and his son Jim received just $15,000 in unrestricted money. The father's 40 percent share of the steel company went into trust for the younger Corrigan until he turned 40, with the Price McKinney as the trustee.

Young James postponed his planned wedding to a Pittsburgh woman after his father's death and eventually refused to marry her. She sued him for $50,000 and breach of promise.

Laura met James when she attended one of his parties with her husband in 1913. She divorced MacMartin and secretly married Corrigan on December 2, 1916.

James' playboy reputation and marriage to a divorcee from a working class background led Cleveland's best families to shun the pair and Laura's efforts to enter society there.

The newlyweds didn't fare much better among the social elite in New York City, so they moved to Europe. Laura soon became one of the arbiters of London society.

Meanwhile, Price McKinney owned 30 percent of the steel company stock, and controlled Corrigan's 40 percent as trustee. He reorganized the company as a corporation and renamed it McKinney Steel.

Laura helped convince heirs of the elder Corrigan's original partner in the company, Stevenson Burke, to sell their shares to her husband.

Armed with that 13% in additional company stock, and somehow gaining control of his own stock, James returned to Cleveland in 1925 to see the company board oust McKinney and elect him as president.

Price McKinney committed suicide before the year was out.

The Corrigans only had a short time to enjoy their business triumph as James dropped dead at the doors of the Cleveland Athletic Club on January 23, 1928 after suffering a heart attack or cerebral hemorrhage.

Laura continued living in Europe with an annual income of $800,000 through most of the 1930s.

While Cleveland and New York society always ignored Laura, and she no longer had any use for them, she apparently always remembered central Wisconsin where she grew up.

In 1933, Laura wrote checks totaling $10,000 to civic and charitable groups in the Stevens Point, Wisconsin area, including: Methodist and Congregational Churches, South Wood County Chapter of the Red Cross, Riverview Hospital Association, the local Board of Education, T.B. Scott Library, the Woman's Federation Relief Fund, and Wisconsin Rapids Unemployment Relief Fund.

Laura was in Paris at the outbreak of World War II in 1939, and found herself on a $500-per-month allowance because the U.S. State Department restricted movement of money overseas.

The ever-resourceful Laura liquidated assets like jewelry, tapestries, furniture to finance wartime relief efforts, like organizing an aid group for soldiers and refugees called "La Bienvenue".

Dwindling finances sent the woman now known as "the American Angel" back to London in 1942, where she managed to establish the Wings Club for aviators.

After the war, the English recognized her with a King's Medal. The French awarded her the Croix de Guerre, Legion of Honor, and Croix de Combattant, the last a rare honor for a woman as it recognized service on the front lines.

Laura was visiting her sister in New York when she died on January 22, 1948.

Today, she rests in one of Cleveland's grandest cemeteries in the company of people like President James A. Garfield, the man who foreclosed on her father-in-law's first iron ore fields, John D. Rockefeller, and, I suspect, many of the Cleveland society types who originally shunned her.

Be sure to check out my stories Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio, recalls grand European memorial gardens and Cleveland monument is lasting tribute to President James A. Garfield.

Curious to learn more? Check out Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery by Marian J. Morton.

© Dominique King 2011 All rights reserved

Comments

[Roger Barker]

Thanks for the great story coming from one of my very favorite destinations in Ohio, Lake View Cemetery. This place is filled with heroes and heroines, artists, musicians, inventors and even a U.S. president! It has some of the most incredible statuary and landscaping of any garden in the world. A definite "must see" for history buffs, art lovers, gardeners... and geocachers!

[Dominique King]

Thanks for steering me to Lake View Cemetery in the first place, Roger!

Lots of great stories there, and I wish I had time to explore more of them.

[Jen]

When we visit a cemetery, sometimes I will see a headstone that catches my eye and I wonder what the story is. What a story that was! Thanks for sharing it.

[Dominique King]

Lake View is a particularly interesting cemetery, and it seems like there is a story around every corner there. I've already done a few stories about it, but I saved this one back 'til now.
You couldn't make this stuff up, could you? :lol:

[nancy Mihalek]

Thank you for the info. Laura Mae Corrigan was a GGAunt of mine. There is a Laura in every generation of our family.

[Dominique King]

Nancy-Thanks for stopping by! I loved this story and just had to share it. Your GGAunt sounds like a fascinating woman.

[Ridgemere]

This is a very interesting story. As one digs deeper into it there are some very interesting historical nuances. Additionally, like any story of this nature it is also interesting to see all the different interpretations over the years. Thanks for sharing it. A few interesting thoughts. When Laura first moved to England, she wasn't received much differently than she was in NY or Cleveland. She tried to overcome this by throwing grand parties and providing lavish gifts to those that attended. In the beginning this did not provide significant stature in British society given the fact that Edward VIII was not a fan. However, his younger brother and wife were. In an ironic twist, when Edward abdicated the thrown and George VI became King her stature in society changed forever.

[Ridgemere]

Also, the loan that James Sr. Took from John D Rockefeller was against his standard oil stock, not land. James Sr. Had sold his refinery to standard oil and like many took stock as payment. He latter pledged this stock as collateral to finance the iron ore venture. This became a well publicized battle against John at a time when few were willing to apples him. Another note. Mr. McKinney became partners with James following the great recession of 1893. The firm was in trouble and james's other partners stepped aside.  Mr. McKinney became a partner and helped lead the company out of the recession. The name was changed at that time. James Jr. Was only 13 at time. His carefree lifestyle did not have any influence on James Sr.'s decision to partner with Mr. McKinney. Price and James Jr. Actually became partners in horse racing and other endeavors until Laura's influences in the late teens. 

Thanks again for posting this interesting story.

[Dominique King]

Ridgemere-It's fascinating to me to see how Laura's story seems to resonate with people to this day. Thanks for adding to my understanding of her life!

[Ridgemere]

The figure that she was seems to always fascinate people. If she lived today, she would probably have a show on Bravo. I am a direct descendant of Mr. McKinney, so I view her life maybe differently than most. No matter what the angle she was definately an interesting figure that benefited from some ironic events and timing in life. I've studied this story in great detail and continue to be intrigued by it. Lake View is an amazing place.

[Dominique King]

Ridgemere-I suspect you're right about Laura's story being particularly TV-ready. She certainly seemed to be a contradictory figure, which is part of what makes her story so interesting.
I loved visiting Lake View because it was amazing on several different levels. We initially went because we wanted to see the Garfield Memorial, but as we wandered the grounds and read a bit about the cemetery, we realized there were many, many interesting stories there. Lots of fascinating people there, and some amazing art/architecture as well.
I've enjoyed researching a few of these stories and would love to go back to find some more stories to tell.

[Ridgemere]

There are several interesting stories within those grounds. Cleveland had some incredible organizations and people at the turn of the last century. Good luck in your research. If you have any more interest in this story, feel free to email me. I've done a great deal of research on the subject. Thanks again for posting the story.

[Andrew Cochrane]

Today whilst walking along the Thames River near Marlow in England with my wife we saw a remarkable mock gothic edifice which I have subsequently found out is known locally as the cardboard castle. Being curious about the story behind it I eventually discovered references to this lady living there and subsequently read this amazing back story. Definitely material for a TV mini series there.

[Dominique King]

Andrew-Thanks for reading my story! No doubt there is more than enough in the story of Laura's life to provide material for at least one TV mini-series or movie. I love finding fascinating stories like these...and the Lake View Cemetery certainly proved a great place for finding stories like this one.

[Joey Dittman]

Laura went to Bali accompanied by Vicomte de La Rochefoucauld and Marquis Talleyrand de Perigord. She rented an aircraft and a boat and visited serveral countries uncluding PNG. One can read about that in a letter of the German Artist Walter Spies to his mother on march 12th 1934. She seems to have eben extremely genorous towards the locals. It's a fascinating story.

[Dominique King]

Thanks for stopping by and adding to Laura's story, Joey! What little I did learn on my own was fascinating, and I'd love to see someone do a more detailed biography or, as someone else suggested, a film about her life.