Charles Curtis - Early Life and Education

Early Life and Education

Born in January 1860 in Topeka, Kansas Territory prior to its admission as a state in January 1861, Curtis is notable as an Executive Branch officer born in a territory rather than state of the Union. Curtis was nearly half American Indian in ancestry. His mother, Ellen Papin (also spelled Pappan), was one-fourth French, one-fourth Kaw, one-fourth Osage, and one-fourth Pottawatomie. His father, Orren Curtis, was an American of English, Scots and Welsh ancestry. His paternal grandparents were William Curtis and Permelia Hubbard. William's parents were Thomas Curtis and Eunice Peet from early Connecticut. On his mother's side, Curtis was a descendant of the chiefs White Plume and Pawhuska, of the Kaw and Osage, respectively.

From his mother, Curtis first learned French and Kansa. As a boy living with his mother and her family on the Kaw reservation, he started racing horses. Curtis was a highly successful jockey in prairie horse races. On June 1, 1868, one hundred Cheyenne warriors invaded the Kaw Reservation. Terrified White settlers took refuge in nearby Council Grove. The Kaw men painted their faces, donned their regalia, and rode forth on horseback to meet the Cheyenne. The two Indian armies put on a military pageant featuring horsemanship, war cries, and volleys of bullets and arrows. After four hours, the Cheyenne retired with a few stolen horses and a peace offering of coffee and sugar by the Council Grove merchants. Nobody was hurt on either side. During the battle, the mixed-blood Kaw interpreter, Joe Jim, galloped 60 miles to Topeka to request assistance from the Governor. Riding along with Joe Jim was eight-year old Curtis (also called “Indian Charley”).

Curtis' mother had died in 1863 when the boy was three. His father remarried and divorced, then married again. The elder Curtis was imprisoned because of an event during his service in the American Civil War. During this time, Charles was cared for by both sets of grandparents. His Curtis grandparents helped him gain possession of his mother's land in North Topeka, which he inherited despite his father's attempt to gain control of the land.

Curtis was strongly influenced by both sets of grandparents. After living on the reservation with his maternal grandparents, Julie Gonville and M. Papin, Curtis returned to Topeka. He lived with his Curtis grandparents while attending Topeka High School. Both his grandmothers encouraged him to get an education.

Afterward Curtis read law in an established firm and worked part-time. Curtis was admitted to the bar in 1881. He commenced practice in Topeka and served as prosecuting attorney of Shawnee County, Kansas from 1885 to 1889.