JOHN AND MARY CURTIS

Contributed by Wanda Ridge. 2018

John and Mary Curtis were enumerated in the 1850, Southern District, Marshall County, Mississippi census. John was a farmer. He and Mary had four children in the household: John W., age 13; Amanda, age 9; Wm. F., 4; and Thos. J., age 1 month. All children were born in Mississippi.

By 1860 John was in Hampton Twp., Monroe County, Arkansas with wife Catherine Tate, whom he married in Monroe County in 1859. He had personal worth of $1500 and real estate value of $2500. Children shown in their household were John W., who was farming, Wm. F., and Harriet Tate, age 4. Daughter Amanda Curtis had married Henry C. Jones by June 1860. Amanda later married Henry Ingram and John Ingram.

1860 Monroe Co AR Agricultural Census, Hampton Twp., shows John Curtis owning 160 acres, 40 of which was improved, with a cash value of his farm at $1200. He had farming implements and machinery valued at $80, 5 horses, 8 milk cows, 2 working oxen, 17 other cattle, 9 sheep, 50 swine and a live stock value of $800. He had 300 bushels of Indian corn.

In 1870, John and Catherine were still in Hampton Twp., with more children in their household. They were Susan Ann, b 1861; James Monroe, born 1864, George W., born 1865, Caledonia, born 1867, Henry C., born 1868 and her daughter, Harriet Tate. Daughter Mary “Molly” was born in 1873.

Both John and Catherine were deceased by 1880, as the five youngest siblings were living together, with James, age 19, acting as head of the house. John Curtis is said to have gone to California and returned to Arkansas with gold that he buried. He was murdered for that gold according to Wilene Barnard (granddaughter of Susan)...he was killed April 19th, 1874 and was buried on the Curtis property "along a creek".....

Lee County, Arkansas probate records, 21 July 1874, name heirs of John Curtis as J. W., Amanda Ingram, James, Susan, George, Caledonia, Henry, and Mary. Henry Ingraham of Lee County was named as guardian of Mary Curtis in November 1875. J. W. Curtis as guardian of J. M. Curtis, G. W. Curtis, H. C. Curtis, Caledonia Curtis and Mary Curtis, in Lee County Probate Court July 1880, asked to be relieved from making further reports until said minors become of age.

Most of these Curtis children farmed and lived in the Lee County, Arkansas, area all their lives.