CURTIS, CHARLES FRANKLIN 1846 – 1915

CURTIS, TOWLE, HOSFORD, ARMSTRONG, CARPENTER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 6/12/2011 at 13:01:45

Clinton Herald, December 21, 1915, P. 1
CHARLES F. CURTIS, PIONEER CLINTON BUSINESS MAN, DIES SUDDENLY TODAY
PASSES AWAY AT HIS HOME ABOUT 7 O’CLOCK AS RESULT OF HEART FAILURE.
BORN APRIL 3, 1846 DIED DECEMBER 21, 1915
FUNERAL ON THURSDAY
Services To Be Held at 2:30 o’clock in the Afternoon – Body to Lie in State at Home from 10:30 a. m. – Was Founder of Big Concern.
Charles Franklin Curtis, aged 69 years, pioneer Clinton business man and founder of the firm of Curtis Bros. & Co., died suddenly shortly before 7 o’clock this morning at his Fifth avenue home, his death being the result of heart failure.
Funeral services, it was announced, will be held at 2:30 o’clock Thursday afternoon. From 10:30 that morning, the body will lie in state at the late residence, where friends of the family, business associates, and employees may pay their last respects. The funeral services will be held at the home and friends are requested not to send flowers.
Mr. Curtis for years had been prominent in the business life of Clinton and was actively associated as stockholder and officer in many concerns in addition to Curtis Bros. & Co. He was also identified with the various Masonic bodies and for ten years was president of the Wapsipinicon club.
Had Been Indisposed.
Mr. Curtis had been slightly indisposed with a cold and at his physician’s advice went to bed for a few days and was attended by a trained nurse that he might recuperate and enjoy the Christmas holidays with his children and grandchildren. Last evening he planned who should go to the train today to meet their daughter, Mrs. Charles Brother Towle and three children, coming from Lincoln, Nebraska and entered heartily into all suggestions for Christmas joys.
At 6:35 o’clock this morning the nurse noticed his labored breathing and instantly summoned Mrs. Curtis and Miss Florence Curtis who in turn called the family physician. Mr. Curtis did not respond to the treatment given and passed away quietly about 10 minutes before 7 o’clock.
Half an hour later Mrs. Towle and her children arrived in the home for the annual Christmas visit.
With a fortitude that is wonderful, Mrs. Curtis is assuming the direction of all questions that come into the home, realizing that added to her personal sorrow has come a great loss to the community.
Married in 1873.
In October, 1873 Mr. Curtis was married to Miss Nancy Hosford, daughter of A. P. and Priscilla Hosford, respected and prominent residents of Clinton, Mr. Hosford being one of the pioneers in the lumber industry here. To them four children were born. Mabel, who died when eleven years old, Lucy, now Mrs. Charles Brother Towle of Lincoln, Neb., and the twin daughters, Edith, now Mrs. Charles A. Armstrong and Miss Florence, at home.
In the death of Mr. Curtis, Clinton loses a citizen who for half a century has occupied a place with the leaders among the city’s earnest, right-minded city builders. Possessed of a big cordial personality, he exerted an influence for the better things of life among all with whom he came in contact. Interested in the city’s social, religious and industrial activities, he was guided by the laws of Christianity in his participation in them.
Born in 1846.
Charles F. Curtis was born April 3, 1846 in Oxford, Chenango county, N. Y., the son of John S. and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Curtis, both natives of New York and of English ancestry. The family moved to a farm in Ogle county, Ill., near Rochelle, in 1856, and resided there until 1868, when they moved to Clinton, where Mrs. Curtis, the mother died in 1890 and Mr. Curtis, the father in 1891.
Charles F. Curtis was educated in the common schools of Ogle county and for one winter attended the Rochelle High school. He then entered Eastman’s Commercial college of Chicago, from which he graduated in May, 1866, and in June of the same year came to Clinton, entering the grocery business in partnership with W. G. Hemingway.
Changes in Firm.
In December of that year, Mr. Curtis and Mr. Hemingway purchased the interests of Claussen and Thornburg in a small sash, door and planing factory located at Seventh avenue and Front street, then operated by Claussen, Thornburg & Smith, the new firm beginning as Smith, Hemingway & Curtis. In the spring of the following year, George M. Curtis, a brother of Charles F., bought the interest of Mr. Smith, and in October of the same year the brothers bought out Mr. Hemingway, the firm name being changed to G. M. Curtis & Brother. At this period but three men were employed, a superintendent, engineer and planing room man, and the principal business was the dressing of lumber.
In 1868, J. E. Carpenter, an uncle of the brothers, was taken into the firm and the name Curtis Bro’s. & Co., since in use was then adopted. On January 1, 1869, the firm bought out the business of C. H. Toll at Thirteenth avenue and Second street and moved to that location where it has since remained. At that time about fifty men and boys were employed and the capacity of the establishment was seventy-five doors and two hundred windows per day.
Business Grows.
The business grew rapidly and in 1881 another factory was started at Wausau, Wis., Cornelius S. Curtis, another brother of Charles F. and George M. was placed in charge. This factory has always been operated under the name of Curtis & Yale company. In 1892, Curtis & Yale company located a branch at Minneapolis. The success of these plants made it seem advisable to open others. At the time of his death Mr. Curtis was a director of Curtis, Towle & Paine company, Lincoln, Neb.; president of Curtis & Yale company, Oklahoma City; president of Curtis Bros. & company of this city; president of Curtis Sash and Door company of Sioux City; director of Curtis & Yale company, Wausau, Wis.; director of Curtis – Yale – Howard company of Minneapolis; treasurer of Curtis Door & Sash company, Chicago and vice president of the Curtis Lumber & Millwork company of this city.
Mr. Curtis has been especially active in promoting home industries. Never has he failed to show an interest, and an active one, in the organization and promotion of business of promise. He was president of the Clinton Saddlery company and the Clinton Furniture company. He was one of the organizers of the City National bank and at the time of his death was one of the directors. He had much to do with the organization of the American Wire Fabrics company and served as one of its directors. Mr. Curtis was also a stockholder and director in The Clinton Herald Co. He held the office of vice president in the Clinton Artificial Ice Co., and was a stockholder in the Collis Co., J. H. Queal & Co., of Minneapolis, operating a large number of retail lumber yards, numbered him as one of its influential stockholders. He also was interested in southern lumber holdings.
Supported Y. M. C. A.
Mr. Curtis had been a substantial support of the Clinton Y. M. C. A. He served for a great many years as director. For the success of its work in Clinton much of the credit is due Mr. Curtis. Recently when it seemed advisable to build a coliseum in Clinton, the directors found Mr. Curtis willing at all times to help not only by his influence but by substantial contributions. Many Clinton people will miss Mr. Curtis and many of these people are those whom it is least supposed would have reason to miss him. His charities were many but never talked about.
No better illustration of Mr. Curtis’ interest in Clinton, Clinton people and his desire to see every-day life made just a little more enjoyable can be cited than the step recently taken to establish, near Curtis Bros. & Co.’s factory, a park and club house. Much has been said of this and his associates say that he took a great deal of pleasure in watching this club house and park develop to the point where it will soon be a place of use and enjoyment, especially for the employees of Curtis Bros. & Co.
His Affiliations.
Mr. Curtis was a member of the Masonic fraternity, having taken the degrees of the York and Scottish Rites and 33 degree Mason. In politics he was republican. He was a member of the First Presbyterian congregation. He became a member of the Wapsipinicon club almost at its organization and for ten years prior to 1913 was its president, declining re-election at that time. He was a charter member of the Golf and Country club and was actively interested in it. While not a member of the church itself he was one of its readiest and most liberal supporters.
SOME APPRECIATIONS OF MR. CURTIS
Clinton bankers and business men today expressed the following appreciations of the late Charles F. Curtis:
A.G. Smith – President of the City National bank and who had been a friend of Mr. Curtis since 1869: “It is hard to realize what Clinton has lost, but we can safely say that the world is better for his having lived here.”
L.F. Sutton – “I consider him the most valuable business man we have had in the city of Clinton.”
C.D. May – Merchants National bank “Mr. Curtis was mostly highly respected and it is hard to realize the great loss that has come to the city of Clinton.
“It is seldom that one sees such a demonstration of grief”, says a member of the firm, “as was shown at the factory this morning when the news of Mr. Curtis’ death came. I can sincerely say that every man in the employ of the company thought a great deal of Mr. C. F. Curtis and felt they had in him a true and honest friend.”
BANKS OF CITY TO CLOSE DURING FUNERAL HOURS.
It was announced by the various banks of the city this morning, that they will close during the hours of the funeral of the late Charles F. Curtis, to be held at 2:30 o’clock Thursday afternoon, as a mark of their respect to the memory of the deceased.

Clinton Herald, December 22, 1915, P. 5
PAYS TRIBUTE TO WORTH OF DECEASED.
CLINTON CITIZEN IN MEMORIAL APPRECIATION OF LATE CHARLES F. CURTIS.
“OUR CITY MOURNS”
Had Sincere Interest in Upbuilding of City, Its Business Enterprises, Its Citizens and His Fellow Men – His Home His Altar.
From a Clinton citizen, who had known the late Charles Franklin Curtis for many years, comes the following “Tribute to Worth”:
On yesterday morning the news spread rapidly through our city of the sudden death of one of its oldest and most highly esteemed business men, Mr. Charles F. Curtis.
Our city mourns! A foremost leader in its business ranks has fallen!
In all the enterprises with which Mr. Curtis was identified the marks he set, to reach his ideals, were quality, honesty, equity. He was a friend to all business men with like ideals. He rejoiced in their successes without envy. He “lifted” often-times when the average man would have refrained. And so now a personal sorrow pervades the business life of our city. All were friends.
Our city mourns! A model citizen has been taken!
Financial success is not all of life, although worth a manly struggle. Our city mourns one who leaves behind an unbroken record of honor and uprightness and one who was public spirited and ready to aid in every laudable enterprise for the city’s uplift and advancement, with both his counsel and his purse. All about us are living, thriving mementos of his interest in and patriotism toward the city of his choice.
Our city mourns! A noble man has “passed beyond”.
Mr. Curtis was a man with high moral plans, living up to his ideals in every relation of life. There was no stain upon his record during his long career. His home was where his heart’s altar stood and around it he showered, with tenderness and devotion, upon wife and children his daily offerings.
But not alone will those stricken ones of his household mourn his death. His friends are without number. To know him was to wish him for a friend. His unassuming manner, his unobtrusive tender of aid or counsel, endeared him to all his associates. His true ideals of manhood, his correctness of life commanded the respect of all around him. He will be missed, yes, and mourned, in every walk in life.
Many a disheartened soul has found inspiration from his counsel and new comfort from his handshake; indeed, many have crossed the threatening bar through his financial aid. He was unselfish to a most remarkable degree. It seemed that to him it was great happiness to be a sharer of his fortune with others.
“God be praised for all examples of magnanimous virtue which He has vouchsafed to mankind!”
A CITIZEN