Dodge Family History: Curtis S. Dodge (1838-1913)

STEPHEN CURTIS⁸ DODGE (James⁷, Benjamin⁶, John⁵, Thomas⁴, Josiah³, ‘Lt.’ John², Richard¹) Farmer & Sawmill Laborer, born 18 January 1838 in Rangeley (then known as Township 3 Range 2), Franklin County, Maine. He married Orissa Berry on 12 Apr 1863. Orissa was born in 14 January 1839 in Pittsfield, Maine to Richard & Elmira (Torsey) Berry. Curtis died 21 May 1913 in Bingham, Somerset County, Maine. Orissa died 13 August 1930 in Dixfield, Maine. Throughout most of his life, he is often referred to as Curtis Dodge.

Curtis was living in 4^th Plantation (later Perkins Plantation) with his family in the 1850 Census. He was 12 years old and had attended school within the past year. On December 3, 1859 (recorded December 21, 1859) Curtis bought ‘A certain piece of parcel of land situated in Perkins Plantation, Franklin County, Maine, said parcel being one undivided half of lot numbered five in the fourth range of lots with all the buildings thereon, excepting the house now standing on said land and heretofore conveyed to James Dodge with the other undivided half of said lot,’ from his brother Wilson Dodge. For $500 (Franklin County Records vol. 44 pg. 442). Curtis agreed to pay a $260 mortgage to Wilson by the first day of April, 1863 for the land (Franklin County Records vol. 43 pg. 188). In the 1860 Census, Curtis was living in Perkins Plantation and was a Farm Laborer on his father’s farm.

In 1863, Curtis registered for the Civil War draft as part of the Federal Enrollment Act. He was selected to be enlisted and paid the $300 Commutation Fee to be exempted from military service. On October 12, 1865 (recorded August 11, 1866), Curtis bought an 85-acre parcel of land in Livermore, Androscoggin County from his brother-in-law, William O. Parlin, for $1,000. (Androscoggin County Records vol. 43, pg. 484). Curtis sold this land to James H. Dodge of Westbrook, Cumberland County, Maine for $1,000 on August 6, 1866 (Recorded August 11, 1866 – Androscoggin County Records Book 43, Page 485). On October 13, 1865 (recorded April 3, 1866) Curtis Dodge, along with his father James Dodge, sold to William O. Parlin ‘lots numbered five and six in the fourth range of lots in Perkins Plantation with the buildings standing thereon,’ for $1,500 (Franklin County Records Book 53, Page 557).

On March 28, 1866 (recorded August 14, 1867), Curtis bought ‘the north half of lot numbered five in the fifth range of lots in Perkins Plantation, containing 80 acres,’ from Stephen Knapp for $150 (Franklin County Records vol. 62, pg. 458). On August 13, 1867 (recorded August 14, 1867), Curtis mortgaged ‘the lot of land numbered five in the fifth range of lots in Perkins Plantation, Franklin County, Maine, containing 160 acres,’ to James H. Dodge of Westbrook, Cumberland County, Maine for $543 (Franklin County Records vol. 61, pg. 366).

In the 1870 Census, Curtis and his family, along with his brother Nathaniel T. Dodge, were living in Perkins Plantation. Curtis was a Farmer and Orissa was a Mistress (taking care of the home). His real estate was valued at $1,000 and his personal estate was valued at $725. He had 160 acres of land, 60 of which was cultivated. He had one horse, four milk cows, two working oxen and 12 other head of cattle, all valued at $425. He produced 50 bushels of winter wheat, 30 bushels of oats, two bushels of peas & beans, 60 bushels of Irish potatoes and 20 tons of hay. He also produced 60 pounds of wool and 400 pounds of butter.

Curtis again mortgaged his land. On May 26, 1871 (recorded June 9, 1871), he mortgaged ‘The lot of land numbered five in the fifth range of lots in Perkins Plantation’ to Oliver Gould for $119.35 (Franklin County Record vol. 69, pg. 478). However, on April 6, 1872 (recorded Aug. 8, 1872), Curtis’ property was seized and auctioned off for failure to pay his mortgages. He had two mortgages on his land in Perkins Plantation ‘lot numbered five in the fifth range of lots…containing 160 acres with the buildings thereon.’ One was a $540 mortgage payable to James H. Dodge dated Aug. 16, 1867. The other was a $119.35 mortgage payable to Oliver Gould dated May 26, 1871. His land was auctioned on May 11, 1872. The land was auctioned off for $80 (Franklin County Records vol. 101 pg. 412).

By 1876, Curtis was living in the town of Gardiner in Kennebec County. He was living with his brothers, Asa & Nathaniel Dodge, on River Road and were working together as the local sawmill; Curtis would work at this sawmill through the 1890’s. He eventually moved to Canuard Street in South Gardiner. When his parents died in 1877, Curtis was one of the sureties for his late parents; James & Rachel Dodge, along with his brother, Nathaniel T. Dodge. On April 14, 1877 (recorded August 23, 1877), Orissa Dodge, Curtis’ wife, bought a ³⁸/₁₀₀-acre parcel of land from Augustus Cannard for $76 (Kennebec County Records vol. 313 pg. 552). On August 20, 1877 (recorded August 23, 1877), Orissa purchased another parcel of land in Gardiner from Eleanor Cannard for $100 (Kennebec County Records vol. 313, pg. 553). Both pieces of land, totaling ¾ of an acre, were mortgaged to the Gardiner Savings Institution for $300 on August 22, 1877 (recorded August 23, 1877). This mortgage was paid in full on June 4, 1888 (Kennebec County Records vol. 315, pg. 176)

In the 1880 Census, Curtis was living in Gardiner with his family. He was working at a sawmill while Orissa was keeping house and his children were attending school. On February 28, 1882 (recorded March 24, 1882), Orissa again mortgaged the ¾ of an acre parcel of land, this time to Weston Lewis for $125. This mortgage was paid in full on April 3, 1890 (Kennebec County Records vol. 337, pg. 70). By 1900, Curtis & Orissa had moved to the town of Madison in Somerset County. Curtis was listed as a laborer in a box factory and Orissa was keeping house. According to the Census, Curtis was born in February 1838 and Orissa was born in February 1839. They had been married for 37 years and had two living children out of four born to them.

By 1910, they were living in Bingham, in Somerset County, with their daughter and son-in-law, Lettie & Thomas Hatt. Curtis was listed as a laborer and had been out of work for six months. Curtis and Orissa had been married for 47 years. On May 21, 1913, Curtis died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He had been a laborer throughout his life. His wife, Orissa, died 13 Aug 1930 in Dixfield, Somerset County, while living with her daughter and son-in-law. They are both buried at Sunset Cemetery on North Anson, Maine. Children:

i. Lettie M. Dodge; b. May 1865, Perkins Plantation, Maine; d. 1940 in Maine. She m. Thomas Hatt 8 Aug 1887. They had one child.

ii. Arthur Curtis Dodge; b. 28 Nov 1866, Perkins Plantation, Maine; d. 3 Aug 1927, Medford, Essex, Mass. He m. Betsy Sarah Avery 8 Jun 1895. They had three children.

iii. Curtis & Orissa Dodge had four children – two living according to the 1900 Census.