Horatio Nelson Curtis (1802-1874)

Horatio Nelson Curtis (1802-1874). . , Horatio Nelson Curtis arrived in northwest Ohio by dugout canoe in 1825, eager to start a new life along the Maumee River. That same year, he helped organize Crane Township and was elected its first Justice of the Peace, an official empowered to keep order and resolve disputes in a lawless wilderness., Horatio built a two-story brick home that still stands today as the oldest structure in Paulding County. It served as a post office, trading post, militia headquarters, and a winter refuge for local Native Americans. Horatio welcomed them with kindness, learned their language, and earned their lasting trust., In the 1840s, his leadership in the Ohio Militia earned him the title "General Curtis." In 1841, he teamed up with surveyor W. Wilshire Riley to lay out the nearby town of Antwerp. Horatio spent his entire life in Crane Township, raising a large family and serving his community for nearly 50 years., Horatio's obituary called him "a friend to the poor man" and praised his lifelong devotion to Paulding County. His legacy endures in the land he loved and the community he helped to build., Horatio's final resting place is Riverside Cemetery in Antwerp., This photograph was shared by Curtis family descendants, who have passed it down through generations. While family tradition holds the image is Horatio Nelson Curtis (1802-1874), photography was not common in Paulding County during his lifetime., It is possible the picture may instead depict his son or one of his grandsons, who also bore the name Horatio Nelson. Courtesy of Tim Curtis, descendant, and wife Loretta Castaldi.