1820-1862

Gold T. Curtis

Captain Gold Tompkins Curtis
August 16, 1820 – July 24, 1862
Company K, 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment

Born in Morrisville, New York, Gold Tompkins Curtis was the son of John G. and Ruth (Bartlett) Curtis. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1839 and went on to practice law in New York State before relocating to Stillwater, Minnesota in 1853.

In Minnesota, Curtis became a prominent figure in public service. He held the offices of District Attorney and Probate Judge and was a delegate to the Minnesota Constitutional Convention in 1857, helping lay the groundwork for Minnesota’s statehood.

Curtis married twice—first to Mary Gay, and later to Mary Anderson. He was the father of two children, Jennie O. and Gold Jr.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Curtis enlisted in January 1862. He was commissioned as a Captain in April of that year, serving with Company K of the 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment. Sadly, his military service was cut short when he died of dysentery just three months later in St. Louis, Missouri.

Captain Curtis is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Minnesota. A cenotaph in his honor stands in Woodland Cemetery, where his second wife, Mary Anderson Curtis, is buried—ensuring his legacy endures in both places he called home.