The Curtis Families of Clinton County, Iowa

HON. GEORGE M. CURTIS.

One of the most straightforward, energetic and successful business men that has ever lived in Clinton is the Hon. George M. Curtis, who, in partnership with his brother, founded one of the most important enterprises that has contributed to the commercial activity and general prosperity of the city, he has been equally prominent in public affairs and has twice been honored with election to the legislative halls of the nation, where his ability as a statesman, as well as his genuine worth of character, gained for him the friendship and high regard of many men of national fame.

Mr. Curtis is a native of Chenango county, New York, born April 1, 1844, and is a son of John S. and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Curtis, who were also natives of the same county. In 1856 his parents left the Empire state, and with their family removed to Illinois, settling in the vicinity of Rochelle, Ogle county. They took up their above on a farm of two hundred and eighty acres, which the father had purchased, and there he and his sons were actively engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1866, when they removed to Rochelle. Two years later they came to Clinton, Iowa. There were born to them ten children, three of whom still survive: George M., Charles F. and Cornelius S.

The first twelve years of the life of our subject were spent in his native state, and he then became identified with the great Mississippi valley, where he has since remained. He attended the district schools during the winter months and assisted in the labors of the home farm until sixteen years of age. He then became a student in Mt. Morris Seminary, at Mt. Morris, Illinois, and later he engaged in teaching school through the winter terms, while in the period of seedtime and harvest he engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1862, however, he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, securing a clerkship in a store in Rochelle, where he was employed for two years.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CHARLES F. CURTIS.

The lumber interests had the most to do with the building up of the city of Clinton. A few names are prominently connected with that industry, but the saw-mill kings have finished their work at Clinton, their interests are now more or less scattered and the one big lumber industry which remains at Clinton and which was not driven away by the failing of the Wisconsin forests is the enormous sash, door, and blind factory, founded by the gentleman whose name heads this article.

Charles F. Curtis was born on April 3. 1846, in Oxford, Chenango county. New York, the son of John S. and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Curtis, both natives of New York and of English ancestry. John S. Curtis was born on March 31, 1818, his wife on March 30, 1822. They moved to a farm in Ogle county. Illinois, near Rochelle. in 1856. and lived there until 1868, when they removed to Clinton, Iowa, where Mrs. Curtis died in 1890 and Mr. Curtis in 1891. Mr. Curtis was a Republican in politics and a member of the Baptist church. He was a man of strong and forceful character.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

In 1881. C. S. Curtis, a brother. Fowler Stone and S. M. Yale were taken into the firm and a branch factory started at 'ausau. Wisconsin, which has about the same capacity as the parent establishment. Tn 1882 a sales warehouse at ?kIinneapolis, under the management of S. I\I. Yale, was organized under the name of the Adams Horr Company, and in 1890 the Minneapolis ankl Wausau branches were organized as the Curtis & Yale Company. The factory at Clinton, with sheds, now covers a space of three hundred by two hundred and seventy-five feet, the offices and warehouse covers eighty by three hundred feet, with a three-story and basement building. Three hundred and seventy-five men are employed, and one thousand doors, two thousand and five hundred windows and other mill work in proportion, turned out every day. The 'ausau factory is of similar capacity, and the output of both has been greatly increased lately by the fise of improved machinery, both having for many years employed a large force of men. The Minneapolis house is supplied from Wausau. The company operates three branch jobl)ing houses, with small factories attached, each employing about a hundred men; these are the Curtis Sash & Door Compan\', at Sioux City, the Curtis, Towle & Paine Company, at Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Curtis & Gartside Company, at Oklahoma City, each supplied from the main factories. The supply of lumber for the factories was formerly obtained from Wisconsin and Michigan, but now comes from a mill in California, in which the brothers are stockholders. The products of these factories are shipped to nearly every state.

Charles F. Curtis was married in October, 1873. to Xancy Ilosford, who was born in Illinois, the daughter of A. P. Hosford, long a respected and prominent resident of Clinton, and Priscilla (Davis) Hosford. To this marriage four children were born: Mabel, who died when eleven years old; Lucy, who married Charles B. Towle, the manager of the branch house at Lincoln, Nebraska; and Edith and Florence, twins, now at home.

Mr. Curtis is a Mason, having taken the degrees of both the Scottish and York rites. In politics he is a Republican and he attends the Presbyterian church. His business connections in Clinton are varied, he being a director in the City National Bank, president of the Clinton Saddlery Company, president of the Clinton Furniture Company, vice-president of the Clinton Wire Cloth Company, and president of Curtis Brothers & Company. His success in business has been so marked as to rank him among the greatest business men of his state and of the middle West, and his fortunes have been self-made, for he started in the grocery business with one thousand dollars which his father kindly loaned him and has built up from that small start, meeting and overcoming many obstacles. While the firm of Curtis Brothers & Company have been so eminently prosperous, their road has not been always clear, and they have passed through three panics which proved the ruin of many similar establishments. The young men of Clinton have certainly in Mr. Curtis an example of the opportunities open to a young man of the right kind of intelligence and ability, even though he is not supplied with wealth at the beginning of his career.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LIMAN J. CURTIS.

A man who has won a competence by working long and hard in the proper direction and is now living in honorable retirement, surrounded by the comforts of life as a result of his former years of strenuous endeavor, is Liman J. Curtis, of Calamus, Olive township. He is one of the sturdy spirits who has contributed largely to the material welfare of the locality in which he resides, having been one of the leading farmers and stock men for many years, and as a citizen he has always been public spirited and progressive in all that the term implies.

Mr. Curtis was born in Clinton county, Iowa, in 1850 and is the son of D. C. and Maria (Alger) Curtis, the father a native of Vermont and the mother of Madison county, New York. D. C. Curtis came from Vermont Hills, his native state, to Clinton county, Iowa, in a very early day, and located here, entering land in Ohve township, one hundred and sixty acres. He found the country wild and rather sparsely settled, but he set to work with a will, cleared and improved his place and lived there many years, becoming very well established. His death occurred about 1907, at the advanced age of eighty-two years and some months. He was always a very active man, and in connection with his farming he preached here for over fifty years and did a great deal of good, being an earnest church worker and a thoroughly good and useful man whom everybody admired and esteemed. He was a Freewill Baptist and, politically, was a stanch Republican. His family consisted of three sons and three daughters.

L. J. Curtis, of this review, was educated in the home schools and he assisted with the general work on his father's farm when a boy, having always been a farmer. He started life for himself in Olive township and steadily progressed up to the time of his retirement. He is the owner ni one of the choice farms of this favored section of the great Hawkeye state, consisting of three hundred and twenty acres, which was all improved by its present owner. He worked hard and managed well both as a general farmer and stock raiser and hence is now able to spend his declining years in ease and comfort. He always kept good cattle, hogs and horses, "being a good judge of all kinds of live stock. Through C. W. Cole, of Ohio, he bought and imported the first Norman stallion ever brought to Olive township. In the fall of 1900 Mr. Curtis retired to Calamus where he has a comfortable, commodious and nicely furnished dwelling, and he has lived here continuously ever since with the exception of three years spent in Clinton. lie is now retired from all active business. He is universally regarded as a man of high integrity.

Mr. Curtis was first married on June 3, 1877. to Eliza E. Boyd, after whose death he married Grace Rector. His third wife was Clarissa Jane Rector, who was born in Madison county. New York, from which state she came with her mother and brother to Clinton county, Iowa, when a young girl. To Mr. and Mrs. Curtis one daughter has been born, Blanche, who married Frank People, of Calamus.

Mr. Curtis has never aspired to political office, but he has held the office of trustee of Olive township in a very acceptable manner for a period of thirteen years. He is a Democrat.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.