- MILO HURLBURT CURTIS, of Janesville, is one of the well known,
early settlers of this County.
- He was born in Wayne County, Pa., Aug. 29, 1828, and is descended
from good old Revolutionary stock. Both of his grandfathers served
during the dark days of that struggle, and were with General
Washington during his celebrated crossing of the Delaware River
on the ice.
- Gideon CURTIS, the father of our subject, was a son of Josiah
CURTIS, and was born in
- Wethersfield, Conn. When a young man he went to Wayne County,
Pa., where he met Miss Anna GOODRICH, daughter of Charles GOODRICH,
whom he married. Miss GOODRICH was born in Glastonbury, Conn.,
her family and that of Mr. CURTIS having been neighbors. Subsequently
both families removed to Pennsylvania. Gideon CURTIS was a stonecutter
by occupation, and later a farmer, and also followed the business
of lumbering during the winter season. He and his wife continued
to live in the Keystone State, near the place where their parents
first settled, until their death. They reared a family of five
sons and five daughters.
- Our subject was the youngest son of that family and remained
at home under the parental roof until
- seventeen years of age, when, in the spring of 1845, he made
a visit to the old home of his parents in Connecticut. On his
return to Pennsylvania in the fall of 1846, he went to Luzerne
County, where he remained six years. During the latter part of
his stay he erected and operated a saw-mill at a point about
eight miles south of Scranton. Having determined to try his fortune
in the west, and hearing a favorable report of Rock County, Wis.,
he resolved to come hither, and the autumn of 1853 found him
in Janesville, and in the following spring he removed his family
to this place. During the first year after his arrival he operated
a saw-mill on the east side of the river for A. K. NORRIS, and
was then engaged in draying for a number of years. For several
years subsequent to that time he was engaged in the wood trade
as a member of the firm of WILLIAMS & CURTIS. These gentle
men operated a retail woodyard, running wood down the river in
boats until 1867, when the business was discontinued. Since that
time Mr. CURTIS has done much in the operating of stone quarries,
furnishing stone by contract for railroad and street purposes.
He was also, at one time, prominently identified with the manufacturing
interests of this city.
- While in Pennsylvania he was united in marriage with Miss
Elizabeth STOUT, whose acquaintance
- he formed in Luzerne County, where she was born. Mrs. CURTIS
was a daughter of Joseph STOUT, who afterwards came to Wisconsin,
and settled in Richland County, where he lived until his death.
Mr. and Mrs. CURTIS have a son, Charles E., who resides in Janesville.
For the long period of thirty-five years, our subject has been
a resident of Janesville, and has witnessed the great changes
that the city and county have undergone in that time. He has
ever been one of the industrious and progressive business men,
and has borne no inconsiderable part in the advancement of the
interests of the community.
-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 486.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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