H. W. Curtis

Henry W. Curtis[note 1] (c.1816 – Unknown) was an American millwright and politician from Sauk County, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 9th Senate district during the 1859 and 1860 sessions. In contemporaneous documents, his name was often abbreviated H. W. Curtis.

This article is about the 19th century Wisconsin state senator. For the 19th century Ohio politician, see H. W. Curtiss.
H. W. Curtis
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 9th district
In office
January 3, 1859 – January 7, 1861
Preceded byJohn T. Kingston
Succeeded byJohn T. Kingston
Personal details
Bornc.1816
New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
OccupationMillwright

Biography

H. W. Curtis was born in the state of New York about 1816.[1] He moved to the new state of Wisconsin about 1853 and settled in Sauk County, Wisconsin. He quickly became involved in local temperance and abolitionist organizations, and became one of the trustees of the Delton Academy. Through his activism, he became involved with the new Republican Party of Wisconsin when it was created in 1854. Sometime in the 1850s, he resided in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, and was editor of the short-lived partisan newspaper, the New Lisbon Republican,[2] but he ultimately returned to Sauk County sometime before 1858, residing then in Delton, Wisconsin.[1]

In 1858, he was elected to the Wisconsin Senate, running on the Republican Party ticket. He served in the 1859 and 1860 sessions of the Legislature.[3] It does not appear that he ran for renomination in 1860.[4]

It seems he subsequently moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin, where he was involved with the Baraboo Paper Manufacturing Company. He seems to have lived until at least 1863.

Notes
  1. It's very difficult to find any substantive information on this person, the 1859 and 1860 Wisconsin legislative manuals (Blue Books) list his name only as "H. W." but subsequent editions which contain the "annals of the legislature" name him as "Henry W. Curtis". I wouldn't be surprised to find out the first name is incorrect. The year of birth (1816) and place of birth (New York) is based on his listed age and place of nativity in the 1859 and 1860 legislative manuals. The info in those early legislative manuals have not always proved accurate, I wouldn't be surprised if the year of birth was off by 5 or more years, and wouldn't be surprised if he only resided in New York at one point, or if his family was from New York, or some other permutation.

References
  1. "Statistical List of Members of the Senate". A Manual of Customs, Precedents, and Forms, in us in the Assembly of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1860. p. 12. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  2. "H. W. Curtis". Wisconsin State Journal. October 4, 1858. p. 2. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. The history of Sauk County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. 1880. p. 342. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  4. "Senatorial Convention". Baraboo Republica. September 20, 1860. p. 2. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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