Charles Curtiss

HON. CHARLES CURTISS, of Downer's Grove, has been prominent in business, social and political circles. He is now President of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, and deals quite extensively in real estate. As he is recognized as one of the leading and influential citizens of the community, we take pleasure in presenting this record of his life to our readers. He was born November 3, 1828, in Royalton, Vt., and is the fourth in a family of five sons born unto Samuel and Mary (Hatch) Curtiss. The father was a native of Connecticut, but when a small child was taken by his parents to Vermont, where he was reared on a farm. He was a volunteer for the War of 18 12, and started for Plattsburg, but the battle was over ere his arrival. His father was a seaman, and on one occasion was made a prisoner by the British and taken on board a British war-vessel, but when the ship was anchored about three miles from the West Indies, he made his escape and swam ashore. For six days he was without food. He was also a native of Connecticut, and his grandfather, a native of England, was the founder of the family in America, having crossed the Atlantic from the mother country in 1680.

In Vermont, Samuel Curtiss married Miss Hatch, a native of that State. In the spring of

1836, they came to Illinois, locating in Downer's Grove Township, DuPage County, where the father bought one-half of I. P. Blodgett's claim to a tract of land containing about four hundred acres. There was only one settler on the east side of Downer's Grove at that time, and the entire county was almost an unbroken wilderness.

Mr. Curtiss was a man of excellent business ability, and left quite a large estate. In politics, he was first an old-line Whig, and afterwards became a supporter of the Republican party. Upon the farm which he here developed he remained until his death, which occurred at the age of seventy-eight. His wife passed away in 1884, having reached the advanced age of ninety years. Her father when a boy served as a teamster in the Revolutionary War, and drove the wagon that carried the coffin in which May. Andre was placed after being hanged as a spy.

The children of the Curtiss family were Orimil, who died at the age of twenty-eight years; Eli W., who served as County Clerk for a number of years in Jasper County, where he is now living a retired life; Henry H., a farmer of Colorado; Charles, of this sketch; and Roswell O., who makes his home in Downer's Grove.

Mr. Curtiss whose name heads this record was a lad of eight summers when he came with his parents to the West. He remembers the trip, which was made on a sailing-vessel from Detroit to Chicago, and thence they went across the country to Berry's Point, near what is now the town of Riverside After six weeks spent at that place, they came to Downer's Grove Township, and here, amid the wild scenes of frontier life, our subject was reared to manhood. Indians were still in the neighborhood, but the following year after their arrival the red men were sent to a reservation farther west. After attending the common schools for some time, Charles Curtiss became a student in a select school at Naperville. Aside from his training in this direction, his observation and wide business experience have made him a well-informed man, who possesses a practical knowledge, which has proven one of the factors in his successful career. He remained at home until he had attained his majority, when, in April, 1850, attracted by the discovery of gold, he made a trip across the plains to California with his elder brother, Henry, and engaged in mining for three years in the Placer diggings. He then spent two years in river mining, after which he returned home, in 1855, and purchased land west of Downer's Grove, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising.

In November, 1856, Mr. Curtiss was united in marriage with Miss Laura A., daughter of Eldred Thatcher, a pioneer of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Curtiss became the parents of three children. Addie, wife of Charles R. Caldwell, a railroad employe residing in Downer's Grove; Samuel, who is engaged in merchandising in Diamond, Ill.; and Alice I., wife of Alfred R. Hickman, a real-estate dealer of Downer's Grove. The parents and daughters are members of the Baptist Church, of which Mr. Curtiss has been Deacon for some years, and the family is one of prominence in the community, its members ranking high in social circles.

Mr. Curtiss cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Scott. Since the organization of the Republican party he has been one of its stalwart supporters, and has taken quite an active part in political affairs. In 1887 and 1888 he served as a member of the Legislature from this district, was Supervisor of his township for seven years, for several years held the office of Justice of the Peace, and for six years has been President of the Village Board of Downer's Grove. It is needless to say that he proves a capable official. He quietly and faithfully performs every public duty, and the confidence and trust reposed in him have never been betrayed. Socially, he is a member of the Patriotic Order of Sons of America.

Mr. Curtiss continued to make his home upon his farm until 1864, when he removed to Downer's Grove, where he has since resided, but he still superintend the cultivation of his land. He is now President of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, and does quite a large real-estate business. This bank is one of the solid financial institutions of the county, conservative yet progressive, and is now in a thriving condition. Mr. Curtiss is a careful and sagacious business man, whose enterprise is tempered by forethought, and through the legitimate channels of business he has acquired a handsome property, which is well deserved. He has long been a resident of this county, and during the years that have come and gone he has won a host of warm friends, whose high regard he still retains.

As printed in Portrait and biographical record of Cook and Dupage counties, Illinois, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies and portraits (1894). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.