George Curry
I knew George Curry personally. Had talked with him many times and stolen from his tremendous store of knowledge and experience in the State of New Mexico. Just a few weeks before he left to go to the hosiptal in Albuquerque where he died, I saw him for the last time. He was, as usual, interested, interesting, always lert and eager to talk. He was confident of his return from the hosiptal. The main thing to be regretted about his passing now, instead of any other indefinite time, for at his age or any age, death is inevitable, he was awaiting anxiously the publication of the book of his life on which he had been working for years. The book will still be published and will be read by thousands, for George Curry led as interesting a life asany man who ever pioneered the great South-west.
In 1945 Curry received the appointment of State Historian from Governor Dempsey. In 1946 he returned to "Old Lincoln Town" in Lincoln County, where he started in New Mexico. He was to be, in
addition to state
historian, custodian of the Lincoln County Museum and here he began working
to add to and create a museum in memory of the pinoneers of the state.
Even in the months he was able to work at it, he had done much toward building up a library of New Mexico history and literature second to none; a picture gallery of governors of New Mexico; relics and reminders of every prominent family who had a part in building the New Mexico of old. Even as he was accomplished this he often said, "I have come back to Lincoln to live the rest of my days until I die."
Governor Curry came to Ft. Stanton from Dodge City, Kansas in 1880 at the age of 18. He started out as a ranch hand but his business head soon put him into other work. For awhile he worked at the trading post there. In 1884 he became manager of the James J. Dolan Mercantile in Lincoln.
His political career began shortly after this. He served as prodate clerk, tax assessor, sheriff, representative of Lincoln, Chavez, Eddy, Dona Ana and Grant Counties in the Legislature.
He came to Otero County when it was first formed, as sheriff. And he has told me himself that those were days of lawlessness and disorder. He left Otero County to join Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders", and served with them until after the Spanish-American War.
After the war he was sent to the Philippines and served as chief of police in the city of Manila. For eight more years he was governor of the Middle Lslands of the Philippines group.
In 1907 he received a personal letter from his old friend, by that time President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, and on his return to the states was commissioned as territorial governor of New Mexico. Following this he was active in state politics and many years.
George Curry is a name you can mention any place in the state of New Mexico and any person who has lived here for even a short length of time knowns it. With his death another of the old guard who pioneered and helped build the state, who clung to the old traditions and beliefs that a man was a big as his actions and deeds, and that New Mexico is the greatest state in the Union, is gone.