Born: Aug. 11, 1831 Died: Jan. 27, 1907 Known for: William
Curtis was patriarch of the family partnership that built the
Curtis Park neighborhood and donated the land for the
neighborhood's park in 1919, stipulating that it be named for
Curtis. Background: A Massachusetts native, Curtis arrived in
Sacramento in 1852. Two years later, he took over his brother's
200-acre homestead on what is now Montgomery Way, establishing a
farm and dairy. By 1882, Curtis and his wife, Susan, owned the
entire southeastern portion of what is now the Curtis Park
neighborhood. Curtis was elected to the county Board of
Supervisors in 1893 and served for eight years, becoming
chairman his last two years. He was a Republican, remembered for
improving roads. The Curtis Park neighborhood land was
subdivided in three phases: late 1880s, early 1900s and early
1920s. A highlight: A building boom during the Roaring '20s
brought new schools, including Bret Harte and Sierra
elementaries (the latter now the Sierra 2 Center), to the area.
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