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Earl Botkin Curtis[1] 1894 - 1994

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• Birth	24 Dec 1894	Atalla, Alabama
  Gender	Male
  Died	11 Nov 1994	Louisville, Ky
  Buried	Somerset Ky City Cemetery, W. Columbia St.
  Person ID	I0356	Curtis Family of Somerset Ky
  Last Modified	17 May 2022

  
  

  Father	John Carpenter Curtis,   b. 4 Jun 1866, McDonough, NY area ,   d. 5 Feb 1940, Springfield, OH
  Mother	Savannah Rachael Botkin,   b. 18 May 1870, Pulaski county, KY ,   d. 7 Jun 1957, Knox, OH
  Married	27 Nov 1889	Pulaski county, Kentucky
  Family ID	F041	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Mary Wells Vaughan,   b. 25 Apr 1895,   d. 18 Aug 1988, Somerset, Ky
  Married	7 Nov 1917
  Children	> 1. John (Jack) Vaughan Curtis,   b. 27 Aug 1918, Somerset, Ky ,   d. 11 Nov 2011, Louisville, Ky > 2. Evelyn L. Curtis,   b. 11 Oct 1920, somerset, Kentucky ,   d. 2 Jan 2007, Lexington, KY > 3. Anna Rachael Curtis,   b. 1 Jun 1923, Somerset, Ky ,   d. 26 Sep 1983, Huntsville, AL > 4. Dorothy B. Curtis,   b. 18 Oct 1926, Somerset, Ky ,   d. 9 Dec 2020, Madisonville, Ky
  Family ID	F025	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos		Older gentleman is Earl Botkin Curtis Status: Located
  		Earl Botkin Curtis Earl Botkin Curtis with His father John Carpenter Curtis apparently on Sunday afternoon outing with automobile Status: Located
  		Earl Curtis Earl with his baby brother Glenn about 1922. Status: Located
  		Earl Botkin Curtis This is Earl Botkin Curtis in driving his horse & buggy about 1915 Status: Located
  		Earl Botkin Curtis This is Earl Botkin Curtis on early automobile about 1920 Status: Located
  		Earl Botkin Curtis and girlfriend MaryWells Vaughan This is Earl Botkin Curtis and girlfriend MaryWells Vaughan about 1916. Status: Located
  		John Carpenter and Earl Curtis John Carpenter and Earl Curtis (son) standing by their Somerset Ky Flour Mill delivery truck. This was the first gasoline powered truck in Somerset according to Glenn Curtis. He said the engine was up under the seat and had a crank starter. Status: Located
  		John Carpenter Curtis This is a picture of John Carpenter Curtis and wife Savannah and children from about 1900 Status: Located
  		Somerset Mill built by John Carpenter Curtis and his brothers, Charlie and Fred in about 1906. Home of FCJ flour (Fred,Charlie, Jack). The mill was located on Monticello St in Somerset Ky where current day (2008) Beecher street intersects. Status: Located
  		John Carpenter Curtis Family This is photo of the 5 Curtis of Somerset brothers sons of John Carpenter and Savanah Botkins Curtis. Believed to have been taken in 1922 reunion mentioned in local paper of Curtis brothers. They are from young to old (bottom to top) Glenn, Arnold, Charlie, Earl, Ralph Status: Located
  		Curtis men of Somerset, Ky Left to right, Ralph, Charlie, John Arnold, Earl, Glenn Curtis. Photo taken at Earl Curtis home in Somerset KY. Per Lavonia Curtis Hyman, Ralph worked in NYC many years for Prentice Hall legal/tax publishers; Charlie in building management in NYC; John Arnold in accounting in Springfield OH; Earl at the flour mill in Somerset; Glenn in cleaning chemical sales in Lousiville.
  		Top LR John Arnold Curtis, Mary Wells Curtis, Earl Curtis, Bottom LR Raymond Stigall, Evelyn Bradley Vaughan Stigall Photo on back porch of Earl and Mary Well Curtis house Somerset Ky
  		Curtis brothers Curtis sons of John Carpenter Curtis and wives, apparently taken at John Carpenter Curtis house atop Harvey's Hill, North Main Street Somerset Ky
  		Somerset flour mill in 2002 As the mill looked a few years before it was torn down.
  		Somerset mill loading dock As it appears 2002 before it was torn down few years later
  		Earl and Mary Wells Curtis house Somerset Ky 224 South Central Ave, Somerset Ky. Lived here from 1941 to 1992
  		Earl and Mary Wells Curtis house 224 South Central Ave Somerset Ky, lived here about 1940 to 1992
  		L-R John Arnold Curtis Jr., Earl Curtis, John (Jack) V. Curtis, Glen Curtis Thanks to Sarah Valencia for this photo of these Curtis men at Pisgah Presbyterian Church Somerset Ky in about 1990. John Arnold and Jack's grandfather Vaughan had been active member (Earl Curtis' father-in-law) here and the occasion was some sort of re-dedicaton of the building. Grandfather Vaughan had been on building committee after church destroyed in 1900 or so by tornado.
  		L-R: John Arnold Curtis, Earl Botkin Curtis, Charles Curtis
  		L-R: John Arnold Curtis, Lois Vaughan Curtis, Mary Wells Vaughan Curtis, Earl Botkin Curtis
  		Somerset 1933 First Methodist Men Bible Study According to 2/6/18 photo posted to Pulaski County Ky facebook group. Earl Curtis standing back row, top right
  		Nugrape bottling Somerset KY about 1927: Earl Curtis with son Jack One of several business ventures Earl Curtis tried before the Great Depression. He also bought country stores, farms to flip etc. None too successful. This Nugrape bottling was at the corner of W. Mt. Vernon St and Vine according to daughter Dorothy Curtis Fabel.
  		Nugrape bottling company Somerset KY Commonwealth Journal ad June 6, 1927 Earl Curtis owned Nugrape bottling.

  
  

  Documents		Wedding Invitation of Earl Botkin Curtis and Mary Wells Vaughan Status: Located
  		Somerset Mill pg 1 Article in Somerset KY newspaper re closing of Mill that was build by Earl Curtis father, John Carpenter Curtis abt. 1907 Status: Located
  		Somerset Mill pg 2 Article in Somerset KY newspaper re closing of Mill that was build by Earl Curtis father, John Carpenter Curtis abt. 1907 Status: Located
  		Somerset Mill pg 3 Article in Somerset KY newspaper re closing of Mill that was build by Earl Curtis father, John Carpenter Curtis abt. 1907 Status: Located
  		Somerset Mill pg 4 Article in Somerset KY newspaper re closing of Mill that was build by Earl Curtis father, John Carpenter Curtis abt. 1907 Status: Located
  		Somerset KY First Methodist Church history Shows connection to Somerset KY Soule's Chapel
  		1933 Somerset Methodist Church directory Kindly supplied by Mr. Rod Zimmerman of Somerset 3/6/2015: shows all members and bible study class photos; Shows Curtis family of JC Curtis, Earl Curtis, Jack Curtis, Evelyn Curtis, Dorothy Curtis, Ana Rachael Curtis, Glenn Curtis
  		Registered Jersey cows by Earl B. Curtis 1919 publication of the registered Jersey cow associaton showing various registered Jerseys to E.B Curtis in Somerset in 1918 prior to birth of first child, Jack.
  		1924 First Methodist Church Somerset Directory
  		Earl Curtis 1920 census Living on Montecello Rd. Note that census says the Bourbon area which was way down current Monticello St, across current hwy 27 and then past historical church behind current restaurant at corner. Note newspaper article below dtd 1921 where moves from Bourbon to Somerset. Later bought farm couple years later at Oak Hill Rd and Monticello..Family stories say at current day corner of Oak Hill Rd and hwy 27.
  		Earl Curtis 1930 census Living at 408 Mt. Vernon Street
  		Earl Curtis 1942 draft registration Living at 224 S. Central Ave, Somerset KY
  		1923 Earl Curtis deed Oak Hill Rd house/farm
  		1923 Earl Curtis deed, East side of Monticello St farm
  		1923 deed Earl Curtis/Chas Oats the bluffs of Burnside
  		1919 Earl Curtis west side of Monticello St farm 100 acres $7000
  		Earl and Mary Curtis wedding announcement 1917 Danville Ky Advocate Messenger 11/13/17
  		Earl Curtis baseball captain for Kiwanis club 1928 Louisville Courier Journal 9/1/1928 re Danville game
  		Earl Curtis sale monticello St. at Oak Hill Rd store 1926
  		Earl Curtis visits Ralph Curtis in Evansville 1955
  		Earl and Mary Wells Curtis 60th wedding anniversary Vaughan and Richard Curtis attend
  		Frank & Ada Wait, Stigalls stay with Earl and Mary Curtis 1927
  		Earl Curtis buys Chevrolet truck 1926
  		Earl Curtis buys store in Russell Springs 1929
  		Mr and Mrs Earl Curtis move from Bourbon area to Somerset 1921
  		Earl Curtis and Charles Oatts sells Waitsboro Riverview farm of 190 acres to Alexanders of Ruth Ky 1924
  		1895 Southern Railroad map shows towns along railroad corresponding to where John T Curtis settles in Ky at Kings Mountain as railroad contractor, then Clinton TN where one of son, John Carpenter Curtis son's born, then Attala Alabama where Earl Curtis and Ralph born. Presumably following family traditon of working for Father and oldest brother , Fred , in Lumber business associated with railroad construction and later Fred in stave business. By 1906, the Curtis brothers are building flour mill in Somerset.
  		Railroad advertisement in Lincoln County KY newspaper 1897 Shows Attalla Alabama as train stop. Earl Curtis was born in Attalla Alabama while his father was working in lumber/rail tie business connected with railroad. Earl's grandfather had come to Kentucky from NY as a railroad subcontractor.
  		1936 Earl Curtis at Edgar Curtis funeral Also note several Gooch's attend. They were family friends from Waynesburg KY days and also involved in Fred M. Curtis chevrolet car business.
  		1963 Jack Curtis Family visits Earl Curtis; Ray Colyer visits Sam Colyer
  		1958 Curtis family reunion Jack Curtis, Earl Curtis, Mallernee, Moore, Fabel
  		1959 Curtis family reunion Jack Curtis, Max Mallernee, Fred Moore families
  		1951 Commonwealth Journal: Savanah Curtis visits Jack Curtis family in Lexington KY
  		1963 Curtis family reunion Commonwealth Journal

  
  

• Notes

  Per John Vaughan Curtis (Jack) Earl worked in Mill his father owned in Somerset Ky. According to Jack Curtis, Earl had an 8th grade education and his Mary Wells had a 9th grade education. Earl's father later bought out his brothers , Charlie and Fred, from the mill and owned all of it in the end before loosing it in the depression. Per Jack, prior to the depression, Earl saved up money working in the Mill and bought a Nu Grape bottling company and it did not do well so he sold it and bought a general store that largely sold clothing in Russell Springs Kentucky. In the purchase he bought the inventory including many hat boxes (men in that day all wore hats) that upon later inventory turned out to be empty. Jack said Earl hired his wife's cousin, a school teacher, to run the store while he continued to work at the Mill owned by his father. The Store after suffering the loss of the bad inventory and also then the depression could not survive and it hurt Earl financially by loosing all his savings. After the depression and the family also loosing the Mill, a family from Tennessee named Robinson, bought the mill. After several years, they reopened the Mill and hired Earl to run the mill for them. Immeadiately prior to running the mill, Earl and his new wife Mary Wells located on a small farm on the what was then the south side of Somerset Ky. This was down Montecello Street south of the Mill off Oak Hill Road. They farmed this small bit of land and Earl also owned and operated a small general store nearby. While living at this small Farm, their first child, John (Jack) Vaughan Curtis was born. In speaking with Mr. Jack Curtis Feb. 2004, he recollects living on this farm up until he was about 10-11 years old. He recalls walking to the general store pulling a new wagon he had received to get some items from the store. The store had one gasoline pump from Standard Oil. He recalls going into the store and leaving his wagon behind a gasoline truck that was filling the tank at the store. When he came out, the truck had backed out and run over the wagon destroying it. Jack recalls crying and being quite upset. The truck driver graciously offered and purchased Jack a new wagon. Jack recalls that there later was another store across the street for Earl's store that was run by Mr. Jimmy Hudson. It was at this store that Jack took his the writer (son Richard) back to purchase a used shotgun for hunting in about 1968. When Jack was about 11 years old, he recalls his family selling the farm and moving into the city of Somerset and this is when his father Earl went back to work at the mill. So this must have been about 1929-1930. Recall that Earl's father build the mill in about 1907. Earl ran the mill until he retired in 1967. After retiring, Earl got into curing country hams, entering many times in the Kentucky state fair contests. He constructed a smoke house in the back of his garage wherein he smoked and cured country hams. He also went to work for Mr. Haney in Somerset who had a country ham business. Earl was a young hearted man way into his later years. The writer as a boy of about 11 remembers Earl trying out his skate board on a visit when he was about 72 years old. He had a wry sense of humor and enjoyed tricks and would express his enjoyment of same by a small smile. In retirement, he took up wood working, making cutting boards, pencil holders, silverware holding miniture chest of drawers, checkerboards, etc out of walnut and maple and other woods. He did this in his basement woodworking shop. He also put together a grandfather clock which remained operating in his house for about 25 years. Earl and his wife Mary Wells both taught Sunday school for many many years at the Methodist Church in Somerset on Central Ave. At family gatherings, Earl would say grace before dinner, "Dear heavenly Father, we thank thee for this food, pardon our sins and save us, in Christ's name, amen." http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ky/pulaski/news/sj3_11_1921.txt NEWS: Excerpts from The Somerset Journal, 11 March 1921 Pisgah. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis have moved to Somerset. NEWS: Excerpts from The Somerset Journal, 7 January 1920 ------------------------ Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ron Holt Email Registry Submitter <http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000607> Date: 9 December 2002 Pisgah. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis and children spent Sunday with his parents at Somerset NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 9 Apr 1920 Oak Hill. Earl Curtis and family visited O.B. Vaughn Tuesday. NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 9 Apr 1920 Pisgah. Earl Curtis has moved to the Ward Tate Farm. NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 9 Apr 1920 Mrs. Charles Oats and children of Danville, Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Curtis of Stearns, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis and Bill Humble of Somerset, visited Mr. and Mrs. Otho B. Vaughn Sunday. Excerpts from Somerset Journal, 4 Jun 1920 Pisgah. Earl Curtis and wife visited at O.B. Vaughn's Sunday NEWS: Excerpts from The Somerset Journal, 18 June 1920 Pisgah. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis and little son Jack visited her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Otho B. Vaughn Sunday NEWS: Excerpts from The Somerset Journal, 22 October 1920 Pisgah. .. Earl Curtis is all smiles. It's a girl, Sarah Rachel NEWS: Excerpts from The Somerset Journal, 22 October 1920 Pisgah. Mrs. C.D. Stigall and Mrs. Harry Stigall called on Mrs. Earl Curtis Friday NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 2 Apr 1920 Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Vaugh and daughter Miss Evelyn and Mr. and Mrs. John Curtis visited MR. and Mrs. Earl Curtis Sunday. NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 2 Apr 1920 Earl Curtis has sold his farm to Mr. Henchy of Illinois. NEWS: Excerpts from The Somerset Journal, 29 April 1921 Pisgah. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Oatt and son, Chas. Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Zawzaw motored down from Danville and spent the day with Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Vaughn. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Curtis and little daughter, Mary Lois, of Stearns, Mr. and Mrs. John Curtis and son, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis of Somerset, spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. O.B. Vaughn. Mrs. O.B. Vaughn visited in Danville last week and was accompanied home by her granddaughter's Sarah Lee and Anna Russell Oatt. NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 5 Mar 1920 Pisgah. Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis and baby visited Mrs. O.B. Vaughn Thursday. NEWS: Excerpts from the Somerset Journal, 7 May 1920 Pisgah. Mr. Heuchie is remodeling his house recently purchased from Earl Curtis Somerset Journal, 9 April, 1920 Part 2 & Final Pisgah. Earl Curtis has moved to the Ward Tate Farm. The Somerset Journal, Friday January 7, 1921 Pisgah Mr. and Mrs. Earl Curtis and children spent Sunday with his parents at Somerset Somerset Journal, 22 October, 1920 Part 2 & Final Pisgah. Earl Curtis is all smiles. It's a girl, Sarah Rachel Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) - November 13, 1994 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deceased Name: SOMERSET -- Earl B. Curtis SOMERSET -- Earl B. Curtis, 99, 224 South Central Avenue, retired Robinson Milling Co. employee, widower of Mary Curtis, died Friday. Services 11 a.m. Monday, Pulaski Funeral Home. Visitation 5 p.m. today. Contributions suggested to First United Methodist Church Building Fund. According to Jack Curtis, he recalls growing up in rental houses around Somerset. One was on west Mount Vernon St. and South Church St ie 299 West Mt. Vernon Street across from the bus station. This white house later functioned as "Red's Drive in" restuarant in the 1960's. Both Jack and Dot recall Jack's room being upstairs in what today appears to be a dormer on the roof of the building. Here Jack lived when he got his first car. Jack recalled his mother making car seat covers for this open car out of flour sacks. It was when Jack lived here that he had the paper route along West Columbia across from the Somerset Cemetery. Later Jack recalls they rented a house where current day mainstreet meets hwy 80 in a valley. Dot Curtis Fabel, confirms this location which was north of Harvey's Hill (main street) and she referred to as on the "Pike". Dot said that they later moved to 506 College Street and it was there that she recalls Papa Curtis (John Carpenter Curtis) moving in with them when he was near death and that he died in the front room of the house they rented at 506 college street. Dot identified the house as one that was one house away from the intersection of College and Pump House Road (current Hwy 39). Dot recalled it was while they lived at the house on North Maple that they got their first ice box. She said she was facinated by it and could recall going in and lifting the lid and chipping off a piece of ice eat. It is here, she recalls where "papa Curtis" (John Carpenter Curtis) returned from Springfield OH to live out his last days with Earl Curtis as Dot recalls he died in the front room they made for him. Dot said that Earl and family then moved to the first house they owned in many years located on 224 South Central in about 1938. Dot Curtis recalled her mother corresponding to cousins and relatives in Texas. This turns out was likely her grandparents Bradshaw and aunts and cousins that moved to Texas about 1910. Dot Curtis recalled in later years when Earl drove a delivery route for Robinson Milling (successor to mill Earl's father built) that his route included the old general store at Ruth Ky. Earl was very hard of hearing as an older gentleman. It had been assumed that he had developed hearing loss over the years working in the loud machinery environment of the flour mill. However, it was learned from an oral history recording of his sister in law, Ada Vaughan Waite, that Earl had much hearing loss even as a young man before he married Ada's sister, Mary Wells. Ada said that in 1917, Earl was refused induction into the military during World War I due his hearing loss. Ada said that Earl and Mary Wells married a the Owens house and that Ada played the wedding march on the piano for the wedding. Ada said that John Arnold, his brother had been coming to the house to court Ada's youngest sister, Lois, and invited Earl, his brother to come with him one time. From there, Earl and sister Mary Wells started dating and doing chores together at the house. Ada said that after the wedding, Earl and Mary Wells spent their honeymoon in Cincinnati.




• Sources

  [S01967] Curtis family record. All beginning info on Curtis' came from summary info supplied from John V. Curtis(Jack) he had obtained from his sister Anna Rachael who had gotten from an Uncle who had started while living in NYC