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Homer A. Curtiss was born in New York in 1825 and received a strong education before pursuing a career in law. After completing his legal training and becoming an attorney, Curtiss was drawn westward by the excitement surrounding the California Gold Rush. Like thousands of others during this era, he left behind his eastern home in search of opportunity in the new frontier.
By the end of 1850, Curtiss had arrived in Shasta County, a region where mining camps and settlements were rapidly expanding along Clear Creek and the Sacramento River. Although the promise of easy riches had brought many men west, the reality of mining was often much more difficult. Curtiss soon recognized that his greatest opportunity was not in the goldfields, but in the profession, he already knew—law.
At the time of his arrival, Shasta County was still creating the basic institutions of government. Courts had to be established, laws enforced, and public offices organized. Curtiss arrived at a moment when men with legal experience were needed to help bring order to a rapidly changing frontier.
Above: Homer A. Curtiss (1825–1885), Shasta County’s first district attorney, helped establish the county’s early legal system during the formative years of California statehood. Courtesy of Shasta Historical Society.
The Michigan Connection to Early Shasta County
Curtiss’s early years in California reveal an important connection between the development of Shasta County and a group of men who had ties to the East, particularly Michigan.
Among those who became prominent in early Shasta County government was Michael Oppenheimer, who had connections to Jackson, Michigan, before coming west. Oppenheimer would become the county’s first sheriff, while Curtiss would become its first district attorney.
One of the earliest records connecting these men comes from Curtiss himself. In a letter written from California and published in the Jackson Citizen newspaper on October 26, 1850, Curtiss reported on the results of the first county election and identified several of the men chosen to lead the new government.
Curtiss wrote:
“M. Oppenheimer is elected Sheriff of this County for the next two years. The people of this County saw fit to elect me to the office of District Attorney...”
This letter provides a rare firsthand account from one of Shasta County’s earliest officials. It confirms that Curtiss and Oppenheimer were already serving together during the county’s formative period and reveals a connection between former residents of the East and the creation of local government in California’s northern mining region.
Rather than arriving as unknown individuals among thousands of Gold Rush immigrants, Curtiss, Oppenheimer, and others brought with them previous experiences and relationships that helped shape the earliest political structure of Shasta County.
Shasta County’s First District Attorney
In 1851, the newly established Board of Supervisors officially created the office of district attorney. Homer A. Curtiss became the first person to hold that position in Shasta County. The role carried significant responsibility. In a frontier county where communities were growing faster than government could keep pace, the district attorney represented the state in criminal matters and helped establish the foundation of the local legal system.
Curtiss served as district attorney until 1852, when he was defeated for reelection by Josiah Ward. Although his first term was brief, his contribution was significant. He was among the first officials responsible for transforming Shasta County from a collection of mining settlements into an organized county with established legal institutions.
Curtiss remained active in public affairs after leaving office. In September 1853, he was elected justice of the peace and later received a commission as a notary public. He continued practicing law and remained an important figure in the community.
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Above: An advertisement for Homer A. Curtiss, attorney and counselor at law and notary public, offering his legal services to the residents of early Shasta County. From the Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 15, 1854.
Above: Homer A. Curtiss's name appears here among the Union County nominations for district attorney, marking his return to local politics before his successful election to the office in 1864. From the July 4, 1863, edition of the Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta.
A Second Term in Office
By 1863, Curtiss was once again seeking public office. In its July 4, 1863, issue, the Shasta Courier included his name among the Union County nominations for district attorney, indicating that he remained active in local politics and continued to have the support of the community.
In 1864, Curtiss returned to the political arena and won election as district attorney. His victory made him the first person in Shasta County history to serve two separate, non-consecutive terms in the office. During his second term, Curtiss maintained a law office in Callaghan’s Block on Main Street in Shasta. He served until 1866, when he was defeated by John S. Follansbee.
Outside the courtroom, Curtiss played an active role in the civic and cultural life of early Shasta County. He supported the Shasta Library Association and helped organize the Shasta Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. He was also a member of Western Star Lodge No. 2, reflecting the important role fraternal organizations played in the social life of nineteenth-century communities.
Mining Ventures and Business Interests
Although law remained Curtiss’s primary profession, he also participated in the mining ventures that continued to shape Shasta County’s economy. By the mid-1860s, Curtiss became a partner in the Original Twenty-Six Mining Company at Bully Hill in the Pittsburg mining district.
He also invested in the Daniel Webster Gold, Silver, and Copper Mining Company. These ventures reflected the continued importance of mining in Shasta County and the willingness of many early professionals to participate in the economic opportunities created by the region’s mineral wealth.
Above: A report noting that District Attorney Homer A. Curtiss was “thrown from his horse with great violence” during a visit to Copper City, an example of the everyday dangers of frontier travel. From the Shasta Courier newspaper edition of April 30, 1854.
Returning East and a New Chapter in Michigan
Around 1868, Curtiss left California and returned east, settling in Jackson, Michigan—the same community that had connections to several early Shasta County pioneers.
While in Jackson, Curtiss resumed his legal career and continued his connection with the community. On August 25, 1869, he married Miss Sarah Doyle of Oswego, New York. The ceremony was performed by Rev. H. F. Spencer. A newspaper notice announcing the marriage identified him as:
“Homer A. Curtiss, Esq., late of Shasta,”
the marriage announcement read, showing that his reputation as one of Shasta County's early attorneys remained well known even after leaving California. In Jackson, Michigan, Sarah (Doyle) Curtiss established a millinery and dressmaking business, advertised in local newspapers by 1871, while Homer resumed his law practice and served as a circuit court commissioner until 1872. The family later lived in Rochester and Brockport, New York, before making their permanent home in Medina, Orleans County, New York.
His Final Years in New York
In Medina, Curtiss established another law practice and later brought his son, Medina Curtiss, into the profession as an assistant attorney. He and Sarah raised their family and remained connected to the legal community. Although his years in California represented only part of his long career, Curtiss never lost the distinction of having helped establish Shasta County’s earliest government institutions.
The Passing of a Frontier Pioneer
On Christmas Day in 1885, Homer A. Curtiss suffered a fatal accident at his home in Medina. While carrying a barrel up the steps, he slipped and fell, suffering a fractured skull. Physicians Dr. Bishop and Dr. Chapman were called to the scene, but Curtiss died shortly afterward at the age of 60.
News of his death traveled across the country, reaching communities in New York, Michigan, and California. In Shasta County, where he had helped establish the county’s earliest legal institutions, his passing was remembered with great respect. The Shasta Courier published an extensive obituary honoring Curtiss, recognizing his service as the county’s first district attorney and his role during the critical years when Shasta County’s government was being formed.
Homer A. Curtiss’s life represents the experience of many early Californians—a journey that began in the East, passed through the excitement and uncertainty of the Gold Rush, and ultimately helped build the foundations of a new frontier society. His story also reveals an important connection often overlooked in local history: the influence of earlier relationships and communities, including those from Michigan, in shaping the earliest government of Shasta County.
Resources:
1850 U.S. Census
1852 California State Census
In the District Court for the 9th Judicial District - Shasta County - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, April 2, 1853
Shasta County Democratic Convention - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 11, 1853
Election Notices - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 25, 1853
Shasta County Election Returns - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 10, 1853
Attention Citizens - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 12, 1854
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 12, 1854
Emigrant Road Meeting - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, February 17, 1855
1860 U.S. Census
Yancy Meeting at Briggsville - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 25, 1860
Candidates for Office - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 1, 1860
Declines It - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, November 1, 1862
The Fourth in French Gulch - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, June 27, 1863
Union County Nominations - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 4, 1863
Union Senatorial Convention - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 1, 1863
Notice - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, August 8, 1863
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 9, 1864
Republican Ward Caucuses - The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, March 14, 1868
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, April 27, 1868
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, May 8, 1868
Political - The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, August 5, 1865
Republican County Ticket - The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, August 7, 1868
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan - October 27, 1868
Homer A. Curtiss and James Hammill - The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, November 3, 1868
The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, July 10, 1869
Marriages - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, September 25, 1869
1870 U.S. Census
Business Directory - The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, May 9, 1870
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, February 6, 1871
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, April 26, 1871
Appointment - The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, October 25, 1871
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, April 30, 1872
The Jackson Citizen newspaper of Jackson, Michigan, February 1, 1873
1880 U.S. Census
Killed By a Fall - The Rochester Journal and the Post Express newspaper of New York, New York, December 29, 1885
Orleans - The Democrat and the Chronicle newspaper of New York, New York, December 30, 1885
Death of One of Shasta County's Pioneers - The Shasta Courier newspaper of Shasta, January 23, 1886
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