Joseph E. Curry

Contributed by Elizabeth Burns, January 2004

History of Arizona, page 490

Joseph E. Curry, general manager of the Apache Powder Company is one of Benson's leading citizens. He was born in Visalia California on April 14, 1870. His parents J.E. Curry and Narcissus A. (Rowland) Curry, both of whom are deceased, moved from their native state of Alabama to Texas and in the early days of the gold excitement joined an expedition going from Texas by ox train over the southern emigrant trail to California.

On January 28, 1895 Joseph E. Curry married, at Bisbee Arizona, Barbara Brown, Quebec Canada and they are the parents of two children, May Lillian and Louis C.

In 1881, when but eleven years of age, Joseph E Curry with his parents came to Arizona. He received a limited education in the public school of Charleston. Worked as a cowboy; later as a clerk in a general merchandise store, and was storekeeper and postmaster at Charleston when that post office was discontinued and the town removed from the map.

In 1888 he went to Bisbee and became connected with the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company where he worked as a miner, after entering the Copper Queen Store as clerk, becoming accountant, and later succeeding Mr. C.E. Mills as Chief Clerk in the general offices of the Copper Queen and Holbrook and Cave Mining Companies. In 1898 Mr. Curry while still in the employ of these same companies, transferred to their newly acquired property at Nacozari ,Mexico as store and general office manager. Remaining in Nacozari for two years, he then came to Naco, Arizona and engaged in the general merchandise business for himself and was appointment first postmaster of that town.

In 1903 he again became connected wit the mining industry, entering the employ, as accountant, for a group of development companies in the Bisbee Warren District which later merged into one corporation under the name of Calumet and Arizona Mining Company. When the Tucson, Cornelia and Gila Bend Railroad was built, in addition to his position with the mining company, Mr. Curry served as director, secretary and treasurer of the Tucson, Cornelia and Gila Bend Railroad. He assisted in the organization of the Cochise Building and Loan Association and for many years served as director and president of that association.

In 1917 he became secretary of the Arizona Chapter of the American Mining Congress and while serving in that capacity became engaged with Mr. Charles E. Mills in the organization of a concern composed only of mining companies to manufacture their own requirements of explosives. C.E. Mills was made president and J.E. Curry made secretary and treasurer of the Apache Powder Company.

USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material must obtain written consent of the archivist or submitter.

---