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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
CHARLES CURRIER, of the firm of Charles Currier & Son, millers, resides on section 7, White Oak Township. He is a pioneer among pioneers, one of the few yet left to tell the story of the good old days when every man was the equal of his neighbor, and all were willing to share alike of the good things of this life. He is a native of the grand old State of Maine, the home of James G. Blaine and other noted men, not only of the present, but of the past, and was born in the town of Corinth, March 13, 1820. His parents, Ephraim and Hannah (Morrell) Currier, were natives of Massachusetts, but emigrated to Maine at a very early day, and were there united in marriage. Both died in their adopted State many years ago. Charles Currier remained with his parents on the farm until he was nineteen years of age, and, like many others who had heard of the West, with its boundless prairies, dotted here and there with groves of timber sufficient for all practical purposes, determined to seek a home in that favored land. His first stopping-place was in Putnam County, Ind., where he remained three years, working two years as an apprentice to a wagon-maker, -and one year as a journeyman in that trade. In August, 1843, in company with the family of Joseph Harris, he came to Iowa, and stopped in Wapello County, near the present city of Ottumwa, where he remained until the spring of 1844, when he came to Mahaska County, locating in Harrison Township, where he run a wagon-shop for one year, and then moved to Oskaloosa, where he continued to work at his trade, being the first in that line in the placeÄthe pioneer wagon-maker. For two years he worked at his trade in Oskaloosa, and then purchased a mill site on section 2, Spring Creek Township, on the South Skunk River, and at once erected a sawmill, which he operated about two years. In 1850 he moved to his present location on section 7, White Oak Township, where be entered forty acres of land, including the mill site, built a dam and erected another mill for sawing lumber. After running it as a sawmill exclusively for two or three years, he put in one run of buhrs for grinding grain. This was the foundation for the present well-known Currier Mills. In 1859 he erected the present mill structure, and has since been actively engaged in milling, though for some years the general management of the mill has been in the hands of his son, William S., whom he admitted to partnership in 1880. To the original forty Mr. Currier has since added thirty acres, the farm now consisting of seventy acres of good land, on which is a fine stone quarry, and from which are taken the buhrs used in the Currier middlings mill, of which mention is made in the sketch of William S. Carrier. On the 3d day of September, 1849, Charles Currier and Angeline Harris, daughter of Joseph and Julia Harris, were united in marriage. Their wedded life has been a happy one, and they are the parents of six children, five now livingÄElna, William S., Frank, Fred and Henry. Hattie is deceased. Previous to the organization of the Republican party Mr. Currier was a Whig, but since that time has been an earnest advocate of its principles. On account of his business being such as always to require his personal attention, he has always declined to be a candidate for any office. Mrs. Currier is a member of the Regular Baptist Church. As stated in the beginning of this sketch, Mr. Currier is a pioneer among pioneers. An eye witness of the great and marvelous changes that have been wrought in county, State and nation, he has the satisfaction of knowing that, however humble his part may have been in it all, he has ever retained the good-will of his fellow-men, and toward one and all has endeavored to put in practice the principles of the Golden Rule.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy