E. S. CURTIS.

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         E. S. Curtis, one of the well known and enterprising agriculturists of Concord township, owns a highly improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres. His birth occurred in Chillicothe, Illinois, on the 14th of August, 1853, his parents being S. C. and Harriet (Briggs) Curtis. The father was born in Steuben county, New York, on the 9th of September, 1826, while the mother’s birth occurred in Lincolnshire, England, on the 13th of October, 1831. Harriet Briggs accompanied her parents on their emigration to the new world when fourteen years of age, the family home being established in Constantine, St. Joseph county, Michigan. The paternal grandparents of our subject also took up their abode in Michigan, in which state S. C. Curtis and Harriet Briggs celebrated their marriage on the 11th of March, 1852, the ceremony being performed at Three Rivers, Michigan. From that state they removed to Illinois, and in 1855 to Muscatine county, Iowa. Mr. Curtis was successfully engaged in business as a railroad contractor until the fall of 1857, the last contract which he executed being the deep cut from the Island to the town of Letts, Iowa. Subsequently he took up his abode at Letts, conducting a hotel and livery stable and also having charge of a farm near the corporation limits of the town. He likewise embarked in business as a stock dealer and grain merchant, continuing operations along those lines until called to his final rest. On leaving Letts he purchased a farm three and a half miles southeast of the town, operating the same until the spring of 1868, when he disposed of the property and removed to Concord township. There he bought a tract of land comprising six hundred and forty acres, a quarter section of which is now in possession of our subject. He acted as the fire arbitrator of the Rock Island Railroad company and also had supervision of all the live-stock shipping points of the corporation, while in 1876 he was appointed by the Rock Island system to combine interests with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. On the 23d of December, 1853, he had joined the Masonic fraternity, becoming a member of Hawkeye Lodge at Muscatine, Iowa. His religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife and children also belonged. His demise occurred at Columbus Junction on the 12th of February, 1894, and his remains were interred in the Letts cemetery. His widow continued to reside at Columbus Junction until a short time prior to her death . . .

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. . . but spent her last days in the home of our subject, passing away on the 9th of December, 1905. She was likewise buried in the Letts cemetery. By her marriage she became the mother of eight children, as follows: E. S., of this review; Frances M., born August 18, 1856, who is the wife of T. H. Hull, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; John Q., whose birth occurred December 5, 1858, and who passed away on the 27th of January, 1861; W. L., born February 8, 1861, who is a traveling salesman residing at Columbus Junction, Iowa; T. J. L., whose natal day was December 23, 1864, and who lives on a farm in Concord township, Louisa county; Nellie F., born December 16, 1868, who gave her hand in marriage to E. W. Murdock of Columbus Junction and passed away on the 12th of November, 1889; Albert E., who was born on the 8th of January, 1872, and died September 4, 1872; and Caroline, twin sister of Albert, who died on the 20th of September, 1879.

         E. S. Curtis, whose name introduces this review, supplemented his preliminary education by a course of study in the Iowa Wesleyan University at Mount Pleasant. He was married when a young man of twenty-two and subsequently spent three years on a farm in Concord township. On the expiration of that period he took up his abode at Fredonia and in August, 1878, was appointed by the Rock Island Railroad Company to take charge of their stock and grain shipping business at Fredonia. He was likewise appointed postmaster, serving in that capacity until 1887. During this period he also conducted a mercantile establishment at Fredonia. In 1887 he returned to his farm and has since devoted his attention to the tilling of the soil and the raising and feeding of stock. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of highly improved and valuable land and has the finest waterworks system in the county. Mr. Curtis has traveled as live-stock solicitor for Baugh Brothers of Chicago for five years.

         On the 23rd of December, 1875, Mr. Curtis was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Newell, a native of Concord township, this county, and a daughter of R. F. and Christina Newell, who are mentioned at greater length on other pages of this work. She obtained her early education in her native township and subsequently attended the State University of Iowa at Iowa City. By her marriage she has become the mother of five children. Maud, whose birth occurred on the 19th of May, 1878, is the wife of A. W. Newell, on Denver, Colorado, by whom she has four children: Mary L., Thomas E., Faith C. and Agnes B. Robert S., whose natal day was February 14, 1881, taught school for one term after his graduation from the high school and in 1905 completed a course in animal husbandry at Ames. The following year he devoted six months to post-graduate work at the same place and in September, 1906, was made professor of animal husbandry in the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts at West Raleigh. He is the father of two children, Robert and Kenneth. Caroline F. Curtis, who was born February, 1887, is a high school graduate and also has a good musical education. Benjamin H. Curtis, whose birth occurred on the 7th of March, 1889, is also a high school graduate and resides on a farm in Louisa county. Edward C., whose natal day was April 13, 1894, is now attending the high school at Columbus Junction.

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         Mr. Curtis is a republican in his political views and supports the men and measures of that party by his ballot. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging to Lodge No. 107 and Chapter No. 92 at Columbus Junction. Both he and his wife are charter members of the Eastern Star lodge at that place. They have gained an extensive circle of friends throughout the community, their genuine personal worth commending them to the confidence and esteem of all with whom they come in contact.