Putnam B. Curry
Orange, Orange County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(Sept. 16, 1835 - May 15, 1910) A native of New York, Putnam B. Curry moved to Galveston in 1860. He enlisted in the Confederate army and saw action along the Texas Gulf Coast during the Civil War (1861-1865). In 1868 he married Eliza Ann Ochiltree (1845-1907); they had four children. In the late 1860s, Curry settled in Orange and opened a mercantile firm. Later he ran a hotel and published a newspaper. A leader in the business community, Curry was also an active Maron.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
A New York native, Putnam B. Curry moved to Galveston in 1860 and enlisted in the Confederate army, seeing action along the Texas Gulf Coast during the Civil War. After the war he married Eliza Ann Ochiltree and settled in Orange, where he opened a mercantile firm and later ran a hotel and published a newspaper. A leader in the local business community, he remained active until his death in 1910.
Why it matters
Curry's postwar path from Confederate soldier to merchant, hotelier, and newspaperman reflects how veterans rebuilt commercial life in Reconstruction-era Texas towns.
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Related people
- · Putnam B. Curry
- · Eliza Ann Ochiltree
Themes & tags
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