WILLIAM MORRISON CURTNER
Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: KENDALL , WELLER , HART
A man of varied interests, William Morrison Curtner, son of Henry
Curtner and his wife Lydia (Kendall) Curtner, was born near
Centerville, Alameda County, California, February 28, 1864. When
he was four years old his father moved to the Curtner Ranch at Warm
Springs, where he was reared. He attended the public school and
Washington College. His beloved mother passed away when he was thirteen
years old. After finishing his college work he went to a cattle ranch
in Nevada, which was owned by his father and William Downing. He
remained there only a short time. The ranch was sold, and William
Downing having purchased a part of the Curtner Ranch, he entered into
partnership with him in the cattle business. He remained in the cattle
business three years, then sold his interest in cattle and removed to
Irvington where he was engaged in farming for several years, then sold
his land at Irvington and came to the ranch on which -he now lives.
This ranch is located on the southern end of the Curtner Ranch and is
in the northern part of Santa Clara County. This ranch he has developed
by conserving its water supply and planting orchards. The hill part of
the ranch is devoted to raising early vegetables and is tenanted. After
coming to this ranch he had charge of his father's land interests for
ten years, and a part of it until his father's death. He also owned
stock in the Abel Curtner Land & Livestock Company of Nevada of
which he was secretary. He has varied interests outside of his ranch,
but the home place is where he has spent the most profitable and
pleasurable part of his time. The home is located on an interesting
spot, chosen three times as a place of abode. The veil of
adventurer and the prospector came. The old adobe still echoes the
clanging of spurs and merry clatter of horses feet as their riders
gather under the trees—the days of boundless hospitality that fled when
the "etranjero" came. By the side of the old, old trees the olive,
orange and lemon, the chestnut, walnut, almond and fruits of all kinds
thrive, making a present-history as interesting as the past.
Mr. Curtner is a director of the Security State Bank in San Jose. In
politics he is a Republican. He belongs to the Sierra Club, the San
Jose Country Club and the Commercial Club, and he is a member of the
Presbyterian Church. He married May L. Weller, daughter of Joseph Rush
Weller and his wife Marion (Hart) Weller. He has two children, William
Weller and Marion Lucy, now Mrs. Theodore Warford Weller of Boston,
Mass. His son received his college education at Harvard University and
Leland Stanford, Jr., University, receiving his A. B. and M. A. degrees
at Leland Stanford, Jr., University. His daughter attended Wellesley
and Leland Stanford, Jr., University, receiving her A. B. at Leland
Stanford, Jr., University.
Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1120