James Clark Curtis (October 28, 1797 – February 21, 1881) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. In the mid-19th century, he served in various local political offices, as well as a brief stint in the state senate from 1850 to 1851.

Biography

He was born on October 28, 1797 St. Albans, Vermont. In 1814, he removed to Sullivan County to take care of the estate of his uncle Edward Griswold, a large tract of land along the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

, then located in the Town of Bethel. He married Pamelia C. Taylor (1799–1881), and they had several children.

Political career

In 1828, the Town of Cochecton was separated from Bethel, and Curtis was elected the first Supervisor in 1829, and was re-elected annually until 1844. He was also chairman of the board of Supervisors of Sullivan County from 1835 to 1843. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

(Sullivan Co.) in

1831 Events January–March * January 1 – William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing '' The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts. * January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto establ ...

and

1833 Events January–March * January 3 – Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (1833), Reassertion of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. * February 6 – His Royal Highness Prince Otto ...

. He was First Judge of the Sullivan County Court from 1844 to 1847. He joined the Free Soil Party in 1848. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(9th D.) in

1850 Events January–June * April ** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome. ** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad "Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States. * April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a cit ...

and

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-day Columbia College, receives its charter from the Missouri General Assembly. ...

. He was among the 12 state senators who resigned on April 17, 1851, to prevent a quorum in the Senate; and was re-elected at the special election on May 27. Upon its foundation in 1855, he joined the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. He was appointed by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

as Collector of Internal Revenue for his district, and remained in office until 1869.

Death and burial

He died on February 21, 1881, in

Cochecton, New York Cochecton () is a town located in west-central Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 1,372 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the lenape word "cushetunk" meaning "place of red stone hills". The Town of Cochecton ...

. He was buried at the Curtis Eddy Cemetery in Cochecton.

Sources

''The New York Civil List''
compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (pages 136, 140, 211, 214, 268 and 365; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858) ives wrong first name "John" on pg. 214 and 268br>''The Late Hon. James C. Curtis''
in the ''Monticello Republican Watchman'' on April 1, 1881

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Curtis, James C 1797 births 1881 deaths Democratic Party New York (state) state senators People from St. Albans, Vermont People from Cochecton, New York New York (state) Jacksonians 19th-century American legislators Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Town supervisors in New York (state)