Abraham Curry
Encyclopedia
Abraham Van Santvoord Curry (February 19, 1815 – October 19, 1873) is considered the founding father of Carson City
, Nevada. A native of the state of New York, he traveled to the West Coast
during the California Gold Rush
and settled in Nevada's Eagle Valley
, where Carson City was established.
Curry served as an assemblyman of the Nevada Territorial Legislature
from 1862 to 1863 and was a territorial senator from 1863 to 1864. He was also the first superintendent of the Carson City Mint
and the first warden of Nevada State Prison
. Curry donated 10 acres (4 ha) of land for the site of the Nevada State Capitol
, for which the state prison quarry provided the stone for its construction.
Curry spent the final years of his life building facilities for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad
in Carson City. Though he had achieved prominence in Nevada, his wife claimed that he had only one dollar in his pocket when he died in 1873.
. He was the first son of Campbell Curry and Elvira Skinner Curry, who were married in South Trenton. On August 1, 1835, Curry married Mary Ann Cowen, who was then eighteen years old, in Ogdensburg, New York
. Their first child and only son, Charles A. Curry, was born on June 10, 1836. After a year in Ogdensburg, the family moved several times and settled in Portage, Ohio
in 1848. The Currys later had six daughters. By 1852, Curry was working in Cleveland, Ohio as a commercial merchant and later became an agent for the Michigan Southern Railroad.
to San Francisco between 1854 and 1855. In 1856, the two were in the mining town of Red Dog
, where Curry opened a bowling alley and established the first branch "tribe" of the Improved Order of Red Men
in California. He met future business partners Benjamin F. Green, John J. Musser, and Francis "Frank" Marion Proctor in the nearby town of Downieville
.
with Green, Musser, and Proctor, from California to the town of Genoa
after news had spread that the western part of Utah Territory
had been abandoned by Mormon
settlers returning to Salt Lake City because of the Utah War
. Curry's $1000 offer to buy a corner lot on which build a store in Genoa was refused for being insufficient. After finding real estate in Genoa to be expensive, Curry moved on to the more sparsely inhabited Eagle Valley
.
Curry partnered with Musser and Proctor to purchase the Eagle Ranch trading post and 865 acres of the surrounding valley for a down payment
of $300 in coins out of a total sale price of $1,000. Musser and Proctor, who were both attorneys, worked to carve a separate territory from Utah, while Curry promoted the newly founded Carson City
. Curry set aside and donated 10 acres (4 ha) of land for the site of the Nevada State Capitol
.
In July 1859, Musser became president and Proctor became vice-president of the constitutional convention to establish the Territory of Nevada
. Curry served as the delegate from Eagle Valley. In 1859, the discovery of the Comstock Lode
east of Carson City was made public, bringing tens of thousands of miners into the area. In 1861, Curry built a 100-foot stone hotel on top of warm springs about two miles east of the city center. A large wooden eagle was placed on the top of the hotel.
In 1862, the Nevada Territorial Legislature
leased the Warm Springs Hotel from Curry to hold meetings and detain prisoners. The legislature had been using the prison quarry to provide stone material for the Nevada State Capitol while keeping costs down. In 1864, the territorial legislature paid $80,000 to acquire the hotel along with 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land from Curry, who was appointed the first warden of the facility that would become known as Nevada State Prison
. In October of that year, Nevada
became a state and the newly written constitution established the Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
as the ex-officio warden of the prison.
In 1865, the United States Congress
approved the establishment of a branch of the United States Mint
in Carson City. Curry was named one of the planning commissioners and became the first superintendent when the Carson City Mint
began operating in 1870. Later that year, Curry left the Mint to accept a commission to supervise the building of an engine house
and machine shop for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad
. Construction began in 1872 with stone provided by the prison quarry. Following its completion on July 4, 1873, the engine house hosted a celebratory grand ball. The Central Pacific Railroad
stated that the shops built in Carson City equaled or exceeded their own locomotive facilities in Sacramento, California
.
In 1871, Curry had also designed and built a home for his family in Carson City, where he would spend the last two years of his life.
Abraham Curry's house was passed down to his daughter Elvira, who in turn passed it on to her son W. H. Cowan, in 1902. The house remained in the family until 1919, and is presently used as a private law office. The house is reportedly haunted
by his spirit.
Abraham Curry's funeral procession has been reenacted
as part of Carson City's annual Ghost Walk event, which is traditionally held during the weekend before Halloween
and Nevada Day
.
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
, Nevada. A native of the state of New York, he traveled to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
during the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and settled in Nevada's Eagle Valley
Eagle Valley (Nevada)
Eagle Valley is the area encompassing Carson City, Nevada. The valley was first settled during the California Gold Rush of 1848. The discovery of Nevada's Comstock Lode in 1859 established the economic importance of the area, which would become the site of the Nevada State Capitol.-History:The area...
, where Carson City was established.
Curry served as an assemblyman of the Nevada Territorial Legislature
Nevada Territorial Legislature
The Nevada Territorial Legislature was established in 1861 after the establishment of the Territory of Nevada.- History :The first Legislature passed a bill entitled An Act to Prohibit Gambling....
from 1862 to 1863 and was a territorial senator from 1863 to 1864. He was also the first superintendent of the Carson City Mint
Carson City Mint
The Carson City Mint was a branch of the United States Mint in Carson City, Nevada. Built at the peak of the silver boom, 50 issues of silver coins and 57 issues of gold coins minted here between 1870 and 1893 bore the "CC" mint mark...
and the first warden of Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison is a penitentiary located in Carson City. The prison has been in continuous operation since it was established in 1862 and is managed by the Nevada Department of Corrections. It is one of the oldest prisons still operating in the United States. The high security facility housed...
. Curry donated 10 acres (4 ha) of land for the site of the Nevada State Capitol
Nevada State Capitol
The Nevada State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of Nevada. It is located in the state capital of Carson City at 101 North Carson Street. The building was constructed in the Neoclassical Italianate style between 1869 and 1871. It is listed in the National Register of Historic...
, for which the state prison quarry provided the stone for its construction.
Curry spent the final years of his life building facilities for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad
Virginia and Truckee Railroad
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built to serve the Comstock Lode mining communities of northwestern Nevada. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno south to Carson City, Nevada. In Carson City, the...
in Carson City. Though he had achieved prominence in Nevada, his wife claimed that he had only one dollar in his pocket when he died in 1873.
Biography
Abraham Van Santvoord Curry was born on February 19, 1815 in the hamlet of South Trenton, New YorkTrenton, New York
----Trenton is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 4,670 at the 2000 census. The town is reportedly named after Trenton, New Jersey.- History :...
. He was the first son of Campbell Curry and Elvira Skinner Curry, who were married in South Trenton. On August 1, 1835, Curry married Mary Ann Cowen, who was then eighteen years old, in Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
. Their first child and only son, Charles A. Curry, was born on June 10, 1836. After a year in Ogdensburg, the family moved several times and settled in Portage, Ohio
Portage, Ohio
Portage is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 428 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Portage is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
in 1848. The Currys later had six daughters. By 1852, Curry was working in Cleveland, Ohio as a commercial merchant and later became an agent for the Michigan Southern Railroad.
Travel to the West
After his daughters, Elvira and Jane, were each married, Curry and his son Charles took a steamship from New York City that sailed around Cape HornCape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
to San Francisco between 1854 and 1855. In 1856, the two were in the mining town of Red Dog
Red Dog, California
Red Dog was a California gold rush mining town located in the Gold Country in south-central Nevada County, California, United States, northeast of Chicago Park. Red Dog Hill, a mine and campsite, was founded by three men all under the age of 22, and was named by their youngest, a 15-year-old...
, where Curry opened a bowling alley and established the first branch "tribe" of the Improved Order of Red Men
Improved Order of Red Men
The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, the Sons of St...
in California. He met future business partners Benjamin F. Green, John J. Musser, and Francis "Frank" Marion Proctor in the nearby town of Downieville
Downieville, California
Downieville is a census-designated place in and the county seat of Sierra County, California, United States. Downieville sits at an elevation of...
.
Settlement in Nevada
In 1858, Curry traveled by stagecoachStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
with Green, Musser, and Proctor, from California to the town of Genoa
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Founded in 1850, it was the first settlement in what became the Nevada Territory. It is situated within Carson River Valley and is about south of Reno....
after news had spread that the western part of Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
had been abandoned by Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settlers returning to Salt Lake City because of the Utah War
Utah War
The Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
. Curry's $1000 offer to buy a corner lot on which build a store in Genoa was refused for being insufficient. After finding real estate in Genoa to be expensive, Curry moved on to the more sparsely inhabited Eagle Valley
Eagle Valley (Nevada)
Eagle Valley is the area encompassing Carson City, Nevada. The valley was first settled during the California Gold Rush of 1848. The discovery of Nevada's Comstock Lode in 1859 established the economic importance of the area, which would become the site of the Nevada State Capitol.-History:The area...
.
Curry partnered with Musser and Proctor to purchase the Eagle Ranch trading post and 865 acres of the surrounding valley for a down payment
Down payment
Down payment is a payment used in the context of the purchase of expensive items such as a car and a house, whereby the payment is the initial upfront portion of the total amount due and it is usually given in cash at the time of finalizing the transaction.A loan is then required to make the full...
of $300 in coins out of a total sale price of $1,000. Musser and Proctor, who were both attorneys, worked to carve a separate territory from Utah, while Curry promoted the newly founded Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
. Curry set aside and donated 10 acres (4 ha) of land for the site of the Nevada State Capitol
Nevada State Capitol
The Nevada State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of Nevada. It is located in the state capital of Carson City at 101 North Carson Street. The building was constructed in the Neoclassical Italianate style between 1869 and 1871. It is listed in the National Register of Historic...
.
In July 1859, Musser became president and Proctor became vice-president of the constitutional convention to establish the Territory of Nevada
Nevada Territory
The Territory of Nevada was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada....
. Curry served as the delegate from Eagle Valley. In 1859, the discovery of the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
east of Carson City was made public, bringing tens of thousands of miners into the area. In 1861, Curry built a 100-foot stone hotel on top of warm springs about two miles east of the city center. A large wooden eagle was placed on the top of the hotel.
Nevada Territorial Legislature
The Nevada Territorial Legislature was established in 1861 after the establishment of the Territory of Nevada.- History :The first Legislature passed a bill entitled An Act to Prohibit Gambling....
leased the Warm Springs Hotel from Curry to hold meetings and detain prisoners. The legislature had been using the prison quarry to provide stone material for the Nevada State Capitol while keeping costs down. In 1864, the territorial legislature paid $80,000 to acquire the hotel along with 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land from Curry, who was appointed the first warden of the facility that would become known as Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison is a penitentiary located in Carson City. The prison has been in continuous operation since it was established in 1862 and is managed by the Nevada Department of Corrections. It is one of the oldest prisons still operating in the United States. The high security facility housed...
. In October of that year, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
became a state and the newly written constitution established the Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
The Nevada Lieutenant Governor is an elected office in the U.S. state of Nevada. The Nevada Lieutenant Governor is based in Carson City, Nevada and elected for 4 year terms. The 33rd and current Lt. Governor for the 2007-2011 term is Brian Krolicki....
as the ex-officio warden of the prison.
In 1865, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
approved the establishment of a branch of the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
in Carson City. Curry was named one of the planning commissioners and became the first superintendent when the Carson City Mint
Carson City Mint
The Carson City Mint was a branch of the United States Mint in Carson City, Nevada. Built at the peak of the silver boom, 50 issues of silver coins and 57 issues of gold coins minted here between 1870 and 1893 bore the "CC" mint mark...
began operating in 1870. Later that year, Curry left the Mint to accept a commission to supervise the building of an engine house
Motive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
and machine shop for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad
Virginia and Truckee Railroad
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built to serve the Comstock Lode mining communities of northwestern Nevada. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno south to Carson City, Nevada. In Carson City, the...
. Construction began in 1872 with stone provided by the prison quarry. Following its completion on July 4, 1873, the engine house hosted a celebratory grand ball. The Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
stated that the shops built in Carson City equaled or exceeded their own locomotive facilities in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
In 1871, Curry had also designed and built a home for his family in Carson City, where he would spend the last two years of his life.
Death and legacy
Three months after the completion of the railroad project, Curry died of a stroke on October 19, 1873. In homage to its first superintendent, the Carson City Mint was closed that day. He was buried in Lone Mountain Cemetery in the largest funeral ever held in Carson City. A popular legend recounts that he had left only one silver dollar in his pocket for his wife Mary at the time of his death.Abraham Curry's house was passed down to his daughter Elvira, who in turn passed it on to her son W. H. Cowan, in 1902. The house remained in the family until 1919, and is presently used as a private law office. The house is reportedly haunted
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
by his spirit.
Abraham Curry's funeral procession has been reenacted
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
as part of Carson City's annual Ghost Walk event, which is traditionally held during the weekend before Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
and Nevada Day
Nevada Day
Nevada Day commemorates the admission of the state of Nevada into the union on October 31, 1864. The first known observance of Nevada Day was by the Pacific Coast Pioneer society during the 1870s...
.
Other offices and affiliations
- Founding member, Independent Order of Odd FellowsIndependent Order of Odd FellowsThe Independent Order of Odd Fellows , also known as the Three Link Fraternity, is an altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the similar British Oddfellows service organizations which came into being during the 18th century, at a time when altruistic and charitable acts were...
, Carson Encampment No. 2. (1867) - Member, Masonic LodgeMasonic LodgeThis article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
No. 1, Carson City - Surveyor of Ormsby County (1871–1873)
See also
- History of NevadaHistory of NevadaNevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864, after telegraphing the Constitution of Nevada to the Congress days before the November 8 presidential election...
- List of reportedly haunted locations in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Carson City, Nevada
External links
- Abraham Curry: The Father of Carson City at the official Carson City, NevadaCarson City, NevadaThe Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
website - Abraham Curry at the Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Abraham Curry at the Carsonpedia
- Abraham Curry at the Online Nevada Encyclopedia
- Abraham Curry House at the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...