A New Yorker by birth, J.N. Corbin arrived in Moab in 1896 where he quickly created a legacy of “firsts.” He was one of the first practicing attorneys in the area, started the first newspaper (Grand Valley Times) and used it to extoll the region’s virtues while encouraging business innovation and growth. He is credited with recruiting the first doctor to Moab, building a road up the Colorado River to Castle Valley, creating a water and sanitation system, and bringing the first telephone line to Moab. Corbin managed the Midland Telephone Company until his death in 1923.