Curtis Journal

JOURNAL OF DR. ETHELRED CURTIS

Optometrist and Chiropractor
808-810 Indiana Ave.
Curtis Building
LaPorte, Indiana
Phone 38

This was taken from a copy of the journal given to me by my mother. Some of the dates and names are very unclear, so I made comments in parentheses next to that part. This is copyrighted material. I believe this was copied in the early 1900's by my Grandfather's Uncle, Ethelred Curtis, from a journal that was written by and belonging to my Grandfather's Grandfather, James A. Curtis. There is a letter head on all pages. I copied the information from that letter head and included it at the top of this page. If you have any questions about this journal, email me at [email protected] and I will be happy to answer. Thanks for coming.




The name "Curtis" meaning courteous, civil, gentle was brought to England by the Norman conquest A.D. 1065 (?). It has been a popular name since the 13th century causing more confusion than any other name among historians. Authorities agree that all of the Curtises are related. The family was numerous in England. Stephen Curtis lived at Apledore, Kent County, England. In 1450 the Curtis family in England were great friends of William Shakespeare and that he named one of his characters in his "Taming of the Shrew" for one of them.

"Curtis Coat of Arms"

On May the 9th 1532 Henry VIII, King of England, confirmed the "Curtis Coat of Arms". William Curtis, our great,great,great grandfather, was a brother of John and Thomas Curtis come from Nazing, England in 1632 (unclear) on the ship "Lion" and settled in Boston, Mass. and later at Stratford, Conn. He was preceded by his oldest son, Wm. Curtis in 1631. William was an Ensign in King Philip's War and a Captain in the army at Stratford, Conn. He and his brothers, Isreal and Joshau signed the fundamental agreement for the settlement and the government of Pamperegue Feb. 4th 1672. The great "Curtis" mills at Scituate was founded by these brothers, Wm., Isreal and Joshau.

Our direct ancestors come from the other brother Thomas Curtis. Thomas Curtis, a man of great reputation and owned great estate, was born in 1670 and died in 1741. There were many descendants and they having the adventure spirit settled in parts of the U.S.A. Several went South, but most went West to N.Y., Mich., Wis., Ind., Kansas. Thomas, son of Wm. Curtis, was our great, great grandfather and they settled in New York. There were some 642 of the Curtises who took part in the Revolutionary War. Many of these who bore arms were of high military ranks and later in life were identified with several colleges and educational institutions. The family has always been prominent in the educational, public and professional life of the country. The Hon. Vice President Charles Curtis is a descendant of this family of brothers and makes him a 5th cousin to the present members of this Curtis clan here today.

The name of Somes, Ladd and Clayton are all related to the Curtis families and many of their descendants at one time lived in Grant County. On our great, great grandmother Curtis (Somes), I read in my father's genealogy that he wrote himself and calls attention to this fact, undoubtedly there is royal blood in the veins of the American Curtis tribe. Not having the data of the personal life of A.W.Curtis, I can only call attention to the personal life of James A. Curtis. This is taken in part from his own record written by himself covering the first 25 yrs. of his life up to the time he married Jane H. Howe (mother) at Belvedere, Ill.

This is what he wrote:

I was born on Saturday, January 16, 1830 in a log house in Duanesburg, Schenectady, New York. My parents are descendants of English ancestry. My great, great grandfather was a descendant of English nobility. His parents were very rich. When he was a boy of 12 years, he was down by the wharf playing and was stolen and pressed on board a Man-of-War along with several other boys. After being on board two years, he landed in New York and lived on Long Island and married. His name was Samuel Somes. He was our great, great grandfather. He was a very large man, being 7 ft. tall and well proportioned. Our great, great grandfather Curtis was a small short man. He was also of English descent. He lived to be 92 years old. The Somes also lived to be about a century old. The personal life of James A. Curtis as recorded by himself. When I was in my 6th year, I went to school a little, but I was so bashful that the scholars abused me and my parents took me out of school. I well remember once when I was coming home from school, one of our neighbors said she would give me some honey to take home to my mother in my dinner pail and asked me to wait till she could go down in the cellar and get it. As soon as she was gone, I ran home as fast as I could go. I did not go enough to learn all of my letters. The next summer I did not go any. When I was in my 8th year, I went to school and commenced to read in words of two letters. I learned so fast that in the fall I got Peter Parleys Geography and was so delighted with it that I used to fetch it home and study it. From this period, I formed a great taste for reading and since I have always liked to read.

When I was 10 years old (1840), there was a great impression made upon my mind in regard to politics. In that year, politics ran very high and Wm. H. Harrison was elected President. When I was 12 years old, I had the measles and two of my sisters died. This year (1842), Father having sold his farm, we moved. The winter I was 13, I went to school 2 months. I went through Dabel's Arithmetic twice and I thought that I understood it pretty well and that I need not study arithmetic much more. This year 1843, father bought a farm and it was close to a Baptist church and they had a great revival. I was awakened and prayed more or less all summer in secret. The next winter I got Adams Arithmetic and found that I did not know quite so much about arithmetic as I thought I did. This year (1844) I read the political papers and took an active part in the presidential campaign. In the year 1845, the Manorial or Anti Rent trouble broke out (can't read rest of sentence). The last of Nov. 1845, I commenced going to a select school two mile from home. I will here say I always stayed at home in the summers and went to school in the winters. In 1848, I took part with the Free Soldiers against the extension of Slavery. I was fully aroused to the evils of slavery and I took an active part in the contest. I electioneered and tried to get all I could to vote for Martin Van Buren.

WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER AT THE AGE OF 19 AND RECEIVED $12 PER MONTH

The fall of 1849 I took a school in Florida. My school being small and having only 8 or 10 scholars, I got discouraged and quit after keeping 4 weeks. I, however, hired out and commenced a school in our own town the next week at the same wages($12 per month). When I commenced keeping school, I felt very awkward and very much out of place. Whenever I came into the house, I always had a book or paper in my hands and could take more pleasure in reading than I could in visiting. Frequently, when I had invitations to parties, I would stay home and read rather than go. On November 11,1850, I started for the State Normal School at Albany,N.Y. I was examined and placed in the Junior class. This was the first time that I went away from home to school. I had never written compositions and you would laugh to see how it got cut up in correcting. But after the first one, I was more careful, I assure you. I boarded myself and for a term of 19 weeks it cost me $28.00. When I left home, I did not think of going more than one term, but I liked the school well and I had formed such a desire for learning more, so the next term I returned. The first term I (unclear here) myself well and was advanced to the Sub Senior Class. In this class I had to study very hard, but I was determined to be advanced and to sustain myself well, and I did do it. I boarded myself and it cost $21.00. I might here remark that the first winter I kept school I saved all my money to school myself. My money being exhausted, I was obliged to go to keeping school again before I could go any more. So I hired out--kept school two weeks and had some difficulty with a boy. His father was a very hasty man who took me up for assault and battery. We had a trial and I had to pay the costs. This I did not like and I quit the school the next week. I hired out again for 4 months. I kept my time out and returned to Albany the 8th of March 1852. I entered the Senior Class, went through the course of study and received my diploma on the (?) of July 1852. After school was out, I decided to see a little more of the world. So the morning of July the 9th, I took passage on board the ill-fated steamer Henry Clay for New York City. Here he describes the many things and places of interest that he found and visited that summer. In the fall, he again engaged a school at Fleming, New, York for 5 months. The 14th of March I closed my school and started for home on the 25th. In February of 1853, the Baptists had a great revival and my father and sister were converted to God as I hope and humbly trust. April 24th father and sister were baptized. October the 1st I went to Saratoga, N.Y. and other places in search for a school. While in old Saratoga, I engaged a school at Dean's Corners for 4 months at $21.00 per month and board around (getting an advanced salary this term). About the middle of October, I spoke at a temperance meeting at Burton's Villa, Montgomery Co., N.Y. and the next week in the Baptist Church at Breman's Corners, Schenectady C., N.Y. My remarks seemed to take very well. Nov. 4th I started for my school. On the evening of the 6th, I made some remarks at a temperance meeting held in the school house in the town of Saratoga, N.Y. This winter I enjoyed myself very much and had quite a (unclear) at school with one exception. On January 8th 1854 I delivered a lecture on temperance to a full house. It appeared to take well and I know that many were well pleased. I attended a debating school this winter. I took a very active part and we had some very good debates. The ladies as well as the gentlemen attended. This is as it should be, for every such society needs refinement of the ladies to purify and chasten them.

GOES WEST MAY 8TH 1854 TO VIRGINIA, ILL.

On Monday, May the 8th, I took the Great Western Railroad west thru Canada to Detroit, stopped off at Niagara Falls in route and arrived in Chicago then on to Springfield, Ill. After 4 days of travel, found no (unclear) on a stage for the 32 miles west from Springfield to Virginia, Ill. I expected to take a school here but was disappointed. Another man had taken it before I arrived. So I took a clerk job in a drug store for Dr. Allard. I remained 4 weeks and then took a school. The summer was very warm and dry. When my quarter was out, the directors engaged me for two more quarters. On the 28th of October I went hickory nutting on the Sangmom bottoms. We stayed two days and camped out at night. The past year our country has been agitated with the Slavery question which is constantly presenting itself in new phases and destined never to be at a less interesting and momentous topic than now, till the system comes to a perpetual end. There is -- there can be no security for our nation while nourishing this viper at her bosom. Slavery must be destroyed or it will destroy the people with whom it is a treacherous guest. The summer of 1854 and the winter of 1855 I taught school one mile west of Virginia, Ill. Closing my school March 2nd 1855 I was never so successful before in a school. In the 5 quarters I taught, I had no occasion to punish a scholar. One of the directors told me that he had not heard one word of fault, that all were satisfied. For the above school I received $25.00 per month and board. The next three months I took the school at Virginia, Ill. Having been confirmed for the past 12 months in school work, I concluded that I should work at farming through the summer. I commenced plowing corn on the 5th of June and got $.75 a day. I commenced harvest on the 4th of July at $1.50 per day in grain and $1.25 in hay. The sun burned my hands to blisters but I stood it well and on June 4th I cast my first vote in Illinois. At this election we voted on Prohibition. I used my influence and gave my vote for Prohibition. Goes to the north part of the state and has the chills and fever. Lands a school at Elgin, Ill. at $500.00 per year under the conditions that either party could quit at any time if dissatisfied.

GOES TO SEE HIS SWEETHEART, MISS JANE H. HOWE

Commenced school on September the 11th and the next day went to Morengo, Ill. to see if I could engage Miss Howe for my assistant, but did not succeed. I commenced my school on Sept. 15th with Miss Palmer of New York as assistant.

LOOSES HIS JOB ON ACCOUNT OF A RUSTY COLLAR

On the morning of Oct. the 15th E. Gifford, Superintendent of schools, came to my room before school and told me that he had concluded to change teachers. I demanded his reasons and he said that I had created rather an unfavorable impression when I first came. He said that my collar and clothes were rather dusty. He said that the report was spread around that I did not go dressed as well as ought and it created an impression injurious to the school. But I do not think the above is true cause. His daughter, Ada, a young lady come to school and she wanted to rule and I would not let her. For misconduct I deprived her of recesses and talked with her pretty severely. Her father told me that he took her out of Mr. Alvord's school, for he did not know which would be boss. I think that similar difficulties were the true cause of my dismissal. The third day after my dismissal I engaged a school at Geneva. The school house not being finished I turned in and (unclear) it for them. After this I went into the country and worked at farming for three weeks. My time was to commence on the 19th of Nov. whether the school house was finished or not. It was a week later that school started. I have a school of some 60 scholars and they are quite backward.

GETS MARRIED TO MISS JANE H. HOWE

On the 27th of December 1855 at 11 o'clock A.M. I was married to Miss Jane H. Howe at the house of her brother-in-law, Mr. J. Collins, in Belvedere, Ill. by the Rev. M. Amsden, congrelationist. I was first introduced to Miss Howe at Mr. Griffith's Jan. 2nd 1853. I spent two or three evenings at her house before I left Fleming, N.Y. After I left, we had correspondence until we were married. Another year has rolled around and this finds me a married man. I have entered upon new duties and new relations. The future is fraught with auspicious incidents. We must willing or unwilling enter into its struggles and activities to perform our part in the great drama of life and Heaven grant that we may enact our part nobley and bravely. We should ask ourselves, what is our aim? For what are we created? And what is our ultimate destiny? We should all feel that we are created for something noble, something Godlike, and we should try to fulfill the great ends of life. Thus ends the chapter of his life written up to the time he married our mother. One of the BEST mothers who ever lived.




© 1999-2010 by Lynn Veitch or the original contributor. All rights reserved. Commercial use of this information is strictly prohibited without prior permission of the owners.

HOME | JOURNAL | AUTOBIOGRAPHY | J.P.RATHBUN | USS RATHBURNE | GHOST | MUSTER ROLL | DESTROYERS | EMAIL