Charles Willis Curtis

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Charles Willis Curtis

Birth
Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
Death
9 Nov 1953 (aged 94)
Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
Burial
Marlborough, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Charles W. Curtis was the founder, with his four sons, of the Curtis Shoe Company. He also established the Curtis Orchards that dominated Hosmer Street in the city for much of the 20th century. Charles was the son of Deacon John Edwin Curtis (b. 1829 d. 1896) and Jane Marie (Putnam) Curtis (b. 1832 d. 1926). He was married to Cora Belle Arnold, sister of India (Arnold) Howe, wife of Louis P. Howe. The Curtis's sons were John A., Arnold S., Charles W. Jr. and Roger A., three of whom are buried in the family lot at Maplewood along with their wives. Charles and Cora Belle had 16 grandchildren and scores of great-grandchildren. Charles W. Curtis was very active in the community, during his extraordinary lifetime. He was on the committee to build the new City Hall and was for many years president of the Marlborough Public Library and on the board of a number of banks in the city. Mr. Curtis was descended from Edward Rawson, first Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1650 to 1686) and from the family of General Israel Putnam (1718 to 1790) who played a major role in the Battle of Bunker Hill at which he exclaimed "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." The first Curtis in his line was Zaccheus, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 aboard the "James" coming from Downton, Wiltshire, England.

Charles married wife 2, Blanche (Peabody) Conner, on February 25, 1925; wife 3, Minnie A. Worden, on September 5, 1929 and wife 4, Nellie B. Smith, in Waltham, MA on January 6, 1932. Nellie B. (Smith) Curtis, who had been nurse to his first wife, died on February 11, 1965.

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Information compiled by Find-A-Grave member Chris Snyder:

1870 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA. 'LAUREN' ARNOLD age 32, occupation "keeps meat market", value of estate $4,750 + $1,500 personal estate. MORGIANA ARNOLD 30. Children: INDIA ARNOLD age 9, CORA B. ARNOLD age 7, HARRY J. ARNOLD age 1. Also living there are [possibly Lorren's sisters] FRANCES ARNOLD age 40 & LUCY ARNOLD age 30, both work in a shoe shop.

1883 May 10 Marriage Record Marlborough, MA. CORA B. ARNOLD age 20, parents: 'Lorrin' Arnold & Morgiana Sawyer. Groom: CHARLES W. CURTIS age 23, druggist, parents John E. Curtis & Jane M. Putnam.

1900 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA, 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 40 born July 4, 1860, superintendent at shoe factory. Wife CORA CURTIS age 38, born September 1861, married 15 years, 4 children. Sons: John 14, born Mar. 1886; Arnold 11, born January 1889; Charles Jr. 8, born Feb. 1892 and Roger 3, born June 1896. All born in Massachusetts. They also have an Irish maid, Mary M. Kelley age 50. Next door is the family of ARTHUR P. CURTIS age 42 [brother to Charles].

1910 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 50,superintendent of shoe factory, married at age 23. Wife CORA CURTIS age 47, married at age 20, has 4 children. Sons: JOHN CURTIS age 23, ARNOLD CURTIS age 21, CHARLES CURTIS Jr. age 18 and ROGER CURTIS age 13. Servants Marie Sullivan 27 and Margaret Fitzpatrick age 27 also. Next door is still the ARTHUR CURTIS family.

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 60, he is the manufacturer in shoe business, he owns his house. Wife CORA B. CURTIS age 57. Son, ROGER A. CURTIS age 23, no occupation. Servants: Irish cook Mary McGarty age 48, and Lithuanian maid/waitress Anna K. Salduck age 24.

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA, 24 Warren Avenue. JOHN A. CURTIS Sr. age 33, owns his home is a superintendent in a shoe factory. Wife Dorothy M. Curtis age 30, born in New York. Children: JOHN A. CURTIS Jr. age 8, Mercer E. Curtis 6, David M. Curtis 4, Willis L. Curtis age 2 and 3 months. Also there are two servants: 41 year old Fannie Cunningham "cook" and 57 year old widow Jennie Sherburne "nurse".

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 16 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS JR. age 27 , office clerk in a shoe factory. Wife MARGARET B. CURTIS age 27. Children: VIRGINIA B. CURTIS age 2 & 10/12; CHARLES W. CURTIS 3rd, age 1 & 9/12; JAMES B. CURTIS age 3 months. There are two servants: Mary Shanley, Irish cook, age 48 widow and Syster M. Ahlquist from Sweden, nursemaid.

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 233 Church Street. ARNOLD S. CURTIS age 30, clerk in shoe factory. ESTHER CURTIS age 29. Son Richard Curtis age 1 & 6/12. All born in Massachusetts.

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA, 172 Shawmut Avenue. JOHN A. CURTIS Sr. age 44,owns his house worth $35,000, president of a shoe corporation. Wife Dorothy M. Curtis age 40. He was 24 when married and she was age 21. Children: JOHN A. CURTIS JR. 18, Mercer E. Curtis 17, David M. Curtis 14, Willis L. Curtis 12, Donald P. Curtis 7, and "niece" Louise Curtis 1 and 9 months. Also there is Annette Marquis age 19, "nursemaid".

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 233 Church Street,ARNOLD S. CURTIS age 41, owns house worth $10,000,superintendent in shoe factory. ESTHER B. CURTIS age 40 Sons: Richard B. Curtis 11 and Elliott P. Curtis 7. Also, there is servant Helen A. Banks age 19.

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 70, owns home worth $10,000. Wife is MINNIE A. CURTIS age 64 [2nd wife]. Son: ROGER A. CURTIS age 34, widower, works in a shoe store. Also listed is a granddaughter Delphine E. Curtis age 6, and a grandson Roger A. Curtis Jr. age 3.

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 16 Warren Avenue. MARGARET B. CURTIS, married, age 38 born in Michigan, no occupation, no husband here, owns house worth $15,000. Five children: Virginia B. age 13; Charles W. 3rd age 12; James B. age 10; Margaret F. age 9 and Mary B. Curtis age 6.

1940 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 233 Church Street, ARNOLD S. Curtis age 51, shoe manufacturer in shoe factory, finished college. ESTHER B. CURTIS age 50, finished high school. Sons: Richard B. Curtis 21 finished two years college, and Elliott P. Curtis 17, completed one year high school. Also there is Esther's mother: Addie L. Browne age 82 widow, completed high school and servant Thelma Weeter age 27 finished two years high school.

1940 U.S. Census Arlington, MA, 30 Hawthorne Avenue. ROGER A. CURTIS age 45, owns home worth $7,500, works as a salesman, finished high school. In 1935 they lived in Stoneham, MA. Wife is EVELYN A. CURTIS age 43, finished high school. Children: Roger A. Curtis Jr. age 16, sophomore in high school and daughter Delphine Curtis age 12 in grade 8.

1940 U.S. Census Grand Rapids, Michigan, 335 Washington Street. MARGARET CURTIS age 55, married, finished two years of college, in 1935 lived in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Children: James Blair Curtis age 20, a bookkeeper in a bank, income $780 year, finished high school; Margaret Frances Curtis age 19, finished high school and Mary Belle Curtis age 16, junior in high school.

1940 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 172 Shawmut Avenue. JOHN A. CURTIS Sr. age 54, house worth $20,000, President of shoe company, finished college, annual income $5,000. Wife Dorothy M. Curtis age 50, finished college. Children: David 24 finished college clerk in shoe company, Willis 22 finished college clerk in shoe company, Donald 17 finished high school, Louise 11, finished grade 7. Servant/housekeeper Clara Thorpe age 21, finished 1 year high school, income $600.

1940 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 191 Church Street. JOHN A. CURTIS JR., age 28, finished 5 years of college, Asst. Tresurer of Shoe Factory, income $2,800. Wife Eleanore B. Curtis age 29, born in Orange, New Jersey, finished college. Children: Nancy Curtis age 2 and John A. Curtis III age 1 year.
Charles W. Curtis was the founder, with his four sons, of the Curtis Shoe Company. He also established the Curtis Orchards that dominated Hosmer Street in the city for much of the 20th century. Charles was the son of Deacon John Edwin Curtis (b. 1829 d. 1896) and Jane Marie (Putnam) Curtis (b. 1832 d. 1926). He was married to Cora Belle Arnold, sister of India (Arnold) Howe, wife of Louis P. Howe. The Curtis's sons were John A., Arnold S., Charles W. Jr. and Roger A., three of whom are buried in the family lot at Maplewood along with their wives. Charles and Cora Belle had 16 grandchildren and scores of great-grandchildren. Charles W. Curtis was very active in the community, during his extraordinary lifetime. He was on the committee to build the new City Hall and was for many years president of the Marlborough Public Library and on the board of a number of banks in the city. Mr. Curtis was descended from Edward Rawson, first Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1650 to 1686) and from the family of General Israel Putnam (1718 to 1790) who played a major role in the Battle of Bunker Hill at which he exclaimed "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." The first Curtis in his line was Zaccheus, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 aboard the "James" coming from Downton, Wiltshire, England.

Charles married wife 2, Blanche (Peabody) Conner, on February 25, 1925; wife 3, Minnie A. Worden, on September 5, 1929 and wife 4, Nellie B. Smith, in Waltham, MA on January 6, 1932. Nellie B. (Smith) Curtis, who had been nurse to his first wife, died on February 11, 1965.

...................................................

Information compiled by Find-A-Grave member Chris Snyder:

1870 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA. 'LAUREN' ARNOLD age 32, occupation "keeps meat market", value of estate $4,750 + $1,500 personal estate. MORGIANA ARNOLD 30. Children: INDIA ARNOLD age 9, CORA B. ARNOLD age 7, HARRY J. ARNOLD age 1. Also living there are [possibly Lorren's sisters] FRANCES ARNOLD age 40 & LUCY ARNOLD age 30, both work in a shoe shop.

1883 May 10 Marriage Record Marlborough, MA. CORA B. ARNOLD age 20, parents: 'Lorrin' Arnold & Morgiana Sawyer. Groom: CHARLES W. CURTIS age 23, druggist, parents John E. Curtis & Jane M. Putnam.

1900 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA, 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 40 born July 4, 1860, superintendent at shoe factory. Wife CORA CURTIS age 38, born September 1861, married 15 years, 4 children. Sons: John 14, born Mar. 1886; Arnold 11, born January 1889; Charles Jr. 8, born Feb. 1892 and Roger 3, born June 1896. All born in Massachusetts. They also have an Irish maid, Mary M. Kelley age 50. Next door is the family of ARTHUR P. CURTIS age 42 [brother to Charles].

1910 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 50,superintendent of shoe factory, married at age 23. Wife CORA CURTIS age 47, married at age 20, has 4 children. Sons: JOHN CURTIS age 23, ARNOLD CURTIS age 21, CHARLES CURTIS Jr. age 18 and ROGER CURTIS age 13. Servants Marie Sullivan 27 and Margaret Fitzpatrick age 27 also. Next door is still the ARTHUR CURTIS family.

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 60, he is the manufacturer in shoe business, he owns his house. Wife CORA B. CURTIS age 57. Son, ROGER A. CURTIS age 23, no occupation. Servants: Irish cook Mary McGarty age 48, and Lithuanian maid/waitress Anna K. Salduck age 24.

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA, 24 Warren Avenue. JOHN A. CURTIS Sr. age 33, owns his home is a superintendent in a shoe factory. Wife Dorothy M. Curtis age 30, born in New York. Children: JOHN A. CURTIS Jr. age 8, Mercer E. Curtis 6, David M. Curtis 4, Willis L. Curtis age 2 and 3 months. Also there are two servants: 41 year old Fannie Cunningham "cook" and 57 year old widow Jennie Sherburne "nurse".

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 16 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS JR. age 27 , office clerk in a shoe factory. Wife MARGARET B. CURTIS age 27. Children: VIRGINIA B. CURTIS age 2 & 10/12; CHARLES W. CURTIS 3rd, age 1 & 9/12; JAMES B. CURTIS age 3 months. There are two servants: Mary Shanley, Irish cook, age 48 widow and Syster M. Ahlquist from Sweden, nursemaid.

1920 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 233 Church Street. ARNOLD S. CURTIS age 30, clerk in shoe factory. ESTHER CURTIS age 29. Son Richard Curtis age 1 & 6/12. All born in Massachusetts.

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA, 172 Shawmut Avenue. JOHN A. CURTIS Sr. age 44,owns his house worth $35,000, president of a shoe corporation. Wife Dorothy M. Curtis age 40. He was 24 when married and she was age 21. Children: JOHN A. CURTIS JR. 18, Mercer E. Curtis 17, David M. Curtis 14, Willis L. Curtis 12, Donald P. Curtis 7, and "niece" Louise Curtis 1 and 9 months. Also there is Annette Marquis age 19, "nursemaid".

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 233 Church Street,ARNOLD S. CURTIS age 41, owns house worth $10,000,superintendent in shoe factory. ESTHER B. CURTIS age 40 Sons: Richard B. Curtis 11 and Elliott P. Curtis 7. Also, there is servant Helen A. Banks age 19.

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 49 Warren Avenue. CHARLES W. CURTIS age 70, owns home worth $10,000. Wife is MINNIE A. CURTIS age 64 [2nd wife]. Son: ROGER A. CURTIS age 34, widower, works in a shoe store. Also listed is a granddaughter Delphine E. Curtis age 6, and a grandson Roger A. Curtis Jr. age 3.

1930 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 16 Warren Avenue. MARGARET B. CURTIS, married, age 38 born in Michigan, no occupation, no husband here, owns house worth $15,000. Five children: Virginia B. age 13; Charles W. 3rd age 12; James B. age 10; Margaret F. age 9 and Mary B. Curtis age 6.

1940 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 233 Church Street, ARNOLD S. Curtis age 51, shoe manufacturer in shoe factory, finished college. ESTHER B. CURTIS age 50, finished high school. Sons: Richard B. Curtis 21 finished two years college, and Elliott P. Curtis 17, completed one year high school. Also there is Esther's mother: Addie L. Browne age 82 widow, completed high school and servant Thelma Weeter age 27 finished two years high school.

1940 U.S. Census Arlington, MA, 30 Hawthorne Avenue. ROGER A. CURTIS age 45, owns home worth $7,500, works as a salesman, finished high school. In 1935 they lived in Stoneham, MA. Wife is EVELYN A. CURTIS age 43, finished high school. Children: Roger A. Curtis Jr. age 16, sophomore in high school and daughter Delphine Curtis age 12 in grade 8.

1940 U.S. Census Grand Rapids, Michigan, 335 Washington Street. MARGARET CURTIS age 55, married, finished two years of college, in 1935 lived in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Children: James Blair Curtis age 20, a bookkeeper in a bank, income $780 year, finished high school; Margaret Frances Curtis age 19, finished high school and Mary Belle Curtis age 16, junior in high school.

1940 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 172 Shawmut Avenue. JOHN A. CURTIS Sr. age 54, house worth $20,000, President of shoe company, finished college, annual income $5,000. Wife Dorothy M. Curtis age 50, finished college. Children: David 24 finished college clerk in shoe company, Willis 22 finished college clerk in shoe company, Donald 17 finished high school, Louise 11, finished grade 7. Servant/housekeeper Clara Thorpe age 21, finished 1 year high school, income $600.

1940 U.S. Census Marlborough, MA 191 Church Street. JOHN A. CURTIS JR., age 28, finished 5 years of college, Asst. Tresurer of Shoe Factory, income $2,800. Wife Eleanore B. Curtis age 29, born in Orange, New Jersey, finished college. Children: Nancy Curtis age 2 and John A. Curtis III age 1 year.