Background
Edwin Upton Curtis was born on May 26, 1861 in Roxbury, Boston. Curtis was the seventh son of George and Martha Ann (Upton) Curtis, who were seventh-generation Bostonians.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
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(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
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Edwin Upton Curtis was born on May 26, 1861 in Roxbury, Boston. Curtis was the seventh son of George and Martha Ann (Upton) Curtis, who were seventh-generation Bostonians.
Edwin attended the grammar and Latin schools there and the Little Blue Family School for Boys at Farmington, Maine, proceeding thence to Bowdoin College, where he won distinction as an athlete and oarsman and graduated in 1882.
He also attended the Boston University Law School.
Edwin was admitted to the Suffolk County bar in 1885. Commencing practise in Boston, he took an active interest in public affairs, being an ardent adherent of the Republican party, and in 1888 became secretary of the Republican City Committee.
In 1889 he was elected city clerk. Two years later he retired and resumed practise, at the same time identifying himself with the then growing movement for civic reform. Such was the prominence which he acquired in this connection that in 1894 he was nominated by the Republican party for mayor, and won a spectacular victory by over 2, 500 votes.
In his inaugural address to the city council he outlined the changes which he advocated, among them being the appointment of a Board of Commissioners to control the election machinery, a revision of the system of financing the public schools, and the placing of each city department under a commissioner. All his major recommendations were carried into effect, and his administration procured for him the respect and confidence of all parties and classes in the city.
On retiring from the mayoralty he again resumed the practise of law.
He continued his public activities, serving as a member of the Metropolitan Park Commission, assistant United States treasurer at Boston, and collector of the Port of Boston.
In December 1918 by appointment of Gov. McCall he became police commissioner of Boston. For some time previously there had been an undercurrent of dissatisfaction in the police force due partly to alleged inadequacy of salaries, and in 1919 matters came to a crisis. The Mayor refused to recommend an increase of pay, and the men thereupon organized a local union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, intending by this means to compel compliance with their demands.
Curtis promptly suspended from duty all those who had become officials of the new union, upon which three-fourths of the police force went on strike, September 9, 1919.
The Commissioner announced that no strikers would be reinstated, intimating at the same time to Gov. Coolidge that the latter must cither remove him from office or accord to him the whole-hearted support of the Commonwealth. The Governor in response furnished Curtis all the assistance required. For a few days much rowdyism occurred in the city and business was badly disorganized, but public opinion was with Curtis; the loyal remnant of the police and the Massachusetts State Guard, assisted by a volunteer force of citizens, in a short time put an end to violence and intimidation, and normal conditions were restored.
In the meantime, adamant in his attitude toward the strikers, the Commissioner proceeded to create a new police force. Though hampered by certain political elements and bitterly assailed by organized labor, his efforts were successful and the elimination from the force of those who had participated in the strike established the principle that loyalty to constituted government must not be subordinated to outside authority.
In 1921 his health became seriously impaired and he was urged by friends to retire, but he resolutely refused, saying that it was his imperative duty to remain at his post as head of the reorganized police in view of the short time which had elapsed since the strike.
He died early in the following year.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
On October 27, 1897, he was married to Margaret the daughter of Charles Waterman of Thomaston, Maine.
