William H. Curless
Goodspeed Publishing Co. (View posts) Posted: 28 Jan 2000 7:00AM
Classification: Biography
Surnames:
CURLESS,
HOOD,
KENNEDY, HESSFORD, SCOVILL, GUFFEE
History of
Hickory,
Polk, Cedar, Dade and
Barton Counties,
Missouri 1889; Published by
Goodspeed- Pg. 878
William H. Curless, a pioneer farmer of LeRoy Township, is a native of
Clermont County,
Ohio, his birth occurring in 1827. His parents Joseph and Lucy (
HOOD)
CURLESS, were born in New Jersey and Maryland, and at an early day were taken by their parents to
Ohio where they were married and made their home until 1846, when they moved to
Fulton County, ILL where Mr. Curless clied in 1850. He was a glass blower in early life, but afterwards took up farming, which he continued until his death. His father, Asher
CURLESS, was born in Scotland, and died in
Brown County,
Ohio, where he had been engaged farming. The maternal grandfather was also a Scotchman, and died in
Ohio. The mother of our subject died, in 1877, at the age of seventy years. William H. Curless is the second of ten children, and in his youth received a very limited education. He went with his parents to
Illinois, but the next year returned
Ohio (1847), and was married to Zanetta, a daughter of Hugh and Margaret
KENNEDY, who were born in
Pennsylvania and
Ohio, respectively, and were married in the latter State. Here the father died, having been a farmer and shoemaker by trade. His wife was born in 1800, and died in
Douglass County,
Kan., in 1886. Mrs. Curless was born in
Brown County,
Ohio, and is the mother of these children: Joseph; Catherine, wife of David Hessford; Frank; Josephine, wife of Albert Scovill; Mollie, wife of George Scovill: George, Nellie,
Charley, Edward; and Jennie, the wife of Arthur Guffee. Mr. Curless lived in
Illinois until 1855, then removed to
Douglass County,
Kan., and in 1866, to
Barton County, where he has since lived, being the owner of 320 acres of well improved land. He and his sons have property adjoining
Liberal, which is underlaid with an abundance of buildina stone, and also a superior quality of coal, both of which are developed to some extent. When Mr. Curless first came to
Barton County, there were only ten voters in three townships, LeRoy, Ozark and Center. At that time there was not a house between his home and Lamar. During the war he was in the Kansas State service. He is a, Republican, though formerly a Democrat, and cast his first presidential vote for
Pierce, in 1852.