1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Floyd W. Curry, who has a responsible position in the office of the Wear Coal Company at Pittsburg, is a young man of much business ability and worthy character, and has made a very creditable record for himself during his residence here, which has been since he was a boy. He enjoys the esteem and confidence of his company, and his standing in all the circles of Pittsburg is the very best.

Mr. Curry was born at Richwood, Union county, Ohio, August 6, 1874, being a son of John W. and Mary J. (Cook) Curry. The history of the Curry family in America contains some notable names, especially in the military affairs of the nation, and Union county, Ohio, has been honored by the presence of the family from its very earliest history down to the present time. There was born near Belfast, Ireland, in the early part of the eighteenth century, one Robert Burns Curry, whose great-great-grandson is our present Mr. F. W. Curry. He served throughout the Revolutionary war, and from a second lieutenancy in the second battalion of Miles' Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment was promoted, on April 8, 1777, to captain of the same, and was known and honored by that title during the rest of his useful life.

Colonel James Curry, a son of Captain Curry and the great-grandfather of Mr. Curry, was also born near Belfast, Ireland, on January 29, 1752. He came to America and served in Dunsmore's Indian war in Virginia, and was later a soldier in a Virginia regiment during the Revolution. September 14, 1778, he was made captain in the Fourth Virginia Infantry. When the war was over and the tide of emigration set westward from the fringe of Atlantic colonies, he was among the first to cross the Alleghanies and wend his perilous way to the territory of Ohio. He settled in Union county and reared his family there, it being necessary for him to guard his family and property from the Indians by means of a shotgun. From that time to the present men and women of the name of Curry have lived and wrought in Union county, and been esteemed and worthy members of society.

In that county grandfather Stephens Curry was born, and one of his sons was Colonel W. L. Curry, an uncle of Mr. F. W. Curry, and now a resident of Columbus, Ohio. He enlisted during the Civil war and was made orderly sergeant of Company C, First Ohio Cavalry. He was a gallant and brave soldier, and for merit was promoted through the grades of captain, and later received the brevet rank of colonel. After his fine record throughout the war he became a man of mark in his native state, and has attained to considerable fame as a writer. His most pretentious literary work is a war history of Union county, which is not only a most interesting but also authentic work. It was first issued as part of a general history of Union county, but was later published separately in book form, and reached a large sale.

John W. Curry, the father of Mr. F. W. Curry, was born in Jerome township, Union county. He followed farming until about twenty years ago, since which time he has been connected with the coal mining industry. The prosecution of this latter enterprise was what led him to locate in Pittsburg, Kansas, in November 1888, and he and his family have lived here for fifteen years.

Mr. Floyd W. Curry was reared to manhood and received most of his education in Pittsburg. On leaving school he took up the coal business, and for the past eight years has been in the employ of the Wear Coal Company, being now in the Pittsburg office of that large company.

Mr. Curry affiliates with Pittsburg Lodge No. 187, A. F. & A. M. He was married in Pittsburg, December 25, 1899, to Miss Gertrude Morris, and they now have a daughter, Clorinne.