H0430
The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.Philander Curtis
Born in 1836.
born before 1836
Life story
Philander Curtis is known from a single statement made near the end of his son's life. When the Iowa state census was taken on 1 January 1925, Nathan K. Curtis, then seventy-two and living at Spencer, Clay County, gave (or someone gave for him) his father's name as "Phelander" Curtis and his mother's as Malinda Davis, and said that they had married in Indiana.1
Nathan was born in Indiana in January 1852, so Philander was born before about 1836.2 Where he himself was born is uncertain: in 1880 Nathan told the census taker that his father had been born in New York; in 1900 that both his parents were born in Indiana; and in 1920 only that his father was born in the United States.2–4 Nothing more about Philander, his life or his death, has yet been found.
What we know
Proven
- Birth, 1836
- Marriage to Malinda Davis at Indiana
What's still open
- Sources. The 1925 Iowa state census index (Nathan's line, read 27 Sep 2026) is the only record that names him; the card image has not been read.
- Parents. Not yet identified.
Sources
Source 1
1 Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1853
"Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836–1925," database with images, Ancestry.com, 1925 Iowa state census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, 1 January 1925: "Mathan Courtis" [alternate reading Nathan Curtis] (white, male, 72, born about 1853, Indiana; head, married); spouse "Louisy" [Louisa] (71; given in the index as Louisy Thomas); father "Phelander" [Philander] Curtis; mother Malinda Davis; parents married in Indiana (his son's line, record 757286; index read 27 September 2026; the census card image has not been read).
Source 2
2 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], 1852
1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], Knox County, Illinois, sheet 5, dwelling and family 82: "Nathen Curtis" [his son] (white, male, 48, born January 1852, Indiana; head, married 1872, 28 years; parents born Indiana; farmer, rents a farm), with his wife Louisa and three children (record 900446; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).
Sources 3–4
3 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jackson [Township], 1852
1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jackson [Township], Porter County, Indiana, E.D. 137, p. 415D, dwelling 184: Nathan K Curtis [his son] (white, male, 28, born about 1852, Indiana; head, married; day laborer; father born New York, mother born Kentucky), Louisa (27, wife) and Viola (6, daughter) (record 27903628; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).
4 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, 1853
1920 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 43, p. 2B, 715 East Fifth Street: Nathan Curtis [his son] (white, male, 67, born about 1853, Indiana; head, married; father born United States, mother born Indiana) and Louisa (66, wife) (record 28794627; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).
More sources are in the evidence below.
Life in time
before 1836
Birth
How we know
Estimated: the father of Nathan K. Curtis, born Jan 1852. His birthplace is given for his son's censuses as New York (1880), Indiana (1900) and the United States (1920).
His son Nathan was born in Indiana in Jan 1852 (1900 census), so Philander was born before about 1836. No record of his own birth has been read, and the censuses of his son disagree on his birthplace.
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1836 Birth
Estimated: the father of Nathan K. Curtis, born Jan 1852. His birthplace is given for his son's censuses as New York (1880), Indiana (1900) and the United States (1920).
His son Nathan was born in Indiana in Jan 1852 (1900 census), so Philander was born before about 1836. No record of his own birth has been read, and the censuses of his son disagree on his birthplace.
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1852 Son born: Nathan K. Curtis
- proven
- family event
Hover or drag along the line, or select a point and use the arrow keys.
Places in this life
one place- 1 Indiana, United States Marriage
Hollow markers are placed approximately, at the town, county or region.
Family
The evidence 2 facts with their grades, 5 sources, and the research notes
Facts
| Fact | Date | Place | Grade | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | before 1836 | proven | 1 , 2 , 3 | |
| Marriage with Malinda Davis | Indiana, United States | proven | 1 |
Research notes
- Sources: The 1925 Iowa state census index (Nathan's line, read 27 Sep 2026) is the only record that names him; the card image has not been read. Nathan's censuses of 1880, 1900 and 1920 (indexes read) give his birthplace.1, 3, 2, 4
- Relationship (probable): An informant's statement in 1925, known from the index only. The census card should be read, and an independent record (a Porter County marriage, an 1850–1870 census of an Indiana household with a son Nathan born about 1852) is needed to confirm it.
- Name: "Phelander" as indexed; Philander is the usual spelling. The Hegnauer/Putt tree's DNA "potential parent" Philander Augustus Curtis is a suggestion, not evidence.5
- Birthplace: New York (1880), Indiana (1900), United States (1920).3, 2, 4 The 1880 answer, given closest in time to his life, may be the better one.
- Leads: the 1850 and 1860 censuses of Indiana (Porter, LaPorte and neighbouring counties) for a Philander Curtis with a son Nathan born about 1852 and a wife Malinda; Indiana marriage records for Philander Curtis and Malinda Davis (before 1852).
- This profile is part of the Hegnauer one-name study, as a great-great-grandfather of the children of Robert Lucius Hegnauer Jr. and Adelaide Louise Curtis.
Working notes
- Father of Nathan K. Curtis (H0041) per the 1925 Iowa state census index (1084/757286: "Phelander" Curtis); Ancestry DNA "potential parent" Philander Augustus Curtis
Sources
- 1
"Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836–1925," database with images, Ancestry.com, 1925 Iowa state census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, 1 January 1925: "Mathan Courtis" [alternate reading Nathan Curtis] (white, male, 72, born about 1853, Indiana; head, married); spouse "Louisy" [Louisa] (71; given in the index as Louisy Thomas); father "Phelander" [Philander] Curtis; mother Malinda Davis; parents married in Indiana (his son's line, record 757286; index read 27 September 2026; the census card image has not been read).
- 2
1900 U.S. Federal Census, Ontario [Township], Knox County, Illinois, sheet 5, dwelling and family 82: "Nathen Curtis" [his son] (white, male, 48, born January 1852, Indiana; head, married 1872, 28 years; parents born Indiana; farmer, rents a farm), with his wife Louisa and three children (record 900446; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).
- 3
1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jackson [Township], Porter County, Indiana, E.D. 137, p. 415D, dwelling 184: Nathan K Curtis [his son] (white, male, 28, born about 1852, Indiana; head, married; day laborer; father born New York, mother born Kentucky), Louisa (27, wife) and Viola (6, daughter) (record 27903628; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).
- 4
1920 U.S. Federal Census, Spencer Ward 3, Clay County, Iowa, E.D. 43, p. 2B, 715 East Fifth Street: Nathan Curtis [his son] (white, male, 67, born about 1853, Indiana; head, married; father born United States, mother born Indiana) and Louisa (66, wife) (record 28794627; index read 27 September 2026; image not read).
- 5
Hegnauer/Putt family tree, Ancestry.com, tree person 102708297160, Nathan K Curtis: the profile shows "potential parents" Philander Augustus Curtis and Malinda J Davis from Ancestry's DNA feature (not a record; seen in the tree export of June 2026).