Anna
Corbin, onetime housekeeper and later the wife
of Daniel Corbin was
born in Sweden and later moved to America with
her father at the age of twelve. Mrs. Corbin’s
life in America was a colorful one. After living
in Spokane for a short time, she received a
formal education. First, she attended Fort
Edward Collegiate school in Fort Edward New York
for a year, spent the next year at Miss Ely’s
fashionable finishing school in New York city
and later attended prestigious Columbia
University for two years. It was common
knowledge that financing for Anna’s education
came in part from Daniel Corbin. His wife at the
time lived in Europe, and it is speculated that
Mr. Corbin was grooming Anna to be a proper
woman. In addition to her education, after
marrying Daniel Corbin she traveled extensively,
crossing the Atlantic no less than eleven times.
Family for Anna remained
important throughout the entirety of her life.
She was instrumental in bringing her brothers
and sisters to America and later helped to
educate their children. One child in particular,
her nephew Alfred Larson, was sent to her in ill
health at the age of six. Mr. and Mrs. Corbin
raised and educated Alfred into adulthood. Their
plans to adopt the boy fell through with the
death of Mr. Corbin in 1918, because law at that
time prevented a single woman from adopting a
child.
In 1921 Anna Corbin and the
chauffeur -- Louis Lilje (whom she is rumored to
have had an affair with) were charged with
conspiracy to burn down the Corbin home in order
to collect insurance money. Both pleaded not
guilty, though Anna later confessed that Lilje
threatened both her and her nephew with bodily
harm if she did not carry through with burning
down the house. Before her trial Anna’s health
failed rapidly, and it was reported that she was
on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Lilje was
acquitted of all charges but was later jailed
for making and distributing moonshine. Anna
however, was not so lucky. Though never
prosecuted for arson, in a reduced mental state
and suffering public displeasure over her
unladylike actions, she was admitted to Eastern
State Hospital for the insane. She was to remain
there for the next three years, until her well
documented release in 1924.*
Shortly thereafter, Mrs.
Corbin applied for and was denied the
opportunity to lease the Corbin house as a
sanitarium by the City Commission. Later she was
to turn it into a boarding house.
Civic duty also played a
large role in Anna Corbin’s life. She applied
for the office of City Commissioner and is
quotes as having said "platforms are like
resolutions, … Made to be broken" and that "a
prudent and thrifty housewife is worth a dozen
politicians." She was also a regular hostess for
the Spokane Civic Candidates league, a club for
candidates vying for the office of city
commissioner.
With Alfred Larson’s urging
and Anna’s growing concern over the upkeep of
the house and fears about not making future
property taxes, they deeded the house to the
Spokane Park Board in August of 1945. The Park
Board paid $15,000 for the house and granted
Mrs. Corbin life tenancy. The surrounding
properties, however, stayed in the family.
On April 26, 1950, Anna
Corbin passed away at the age of 79. Wife of a
western pioneer, provider for her family and a
notable figure in the community, her life was
anything but sedate. In her own words she
described her life as "being like a novel."
Mr. Larson and his family
remained in the carriage house for several years
until they could purchase a new house on their
own. He later sold the Corbin properties to the
city and the carriage house was destroyed,
providing access for the construction of Ben
Garnett Way.
