Abraham Curry

Abraham Van Santvoord Curry (February 19, 1815 – October 19, 1873) was an American politician considered the founding father of Carson City, Nevada. A native of the state of New York, he traveled to the West Coast during the California Gold Rush and settled in Nevada's Eagle Valley, where Carson City was established.

Curry served as an assemblyman of the Nevada Territorial Legislature from 1862 to 1863 and was a territorial senator from 1863 to 1864. He was also the first superintendent of the Carson City Mint and the first warden of Nevada State Prison. Curry donated of land for the site of the Nevada State Capitol, for which the state prison quarry provided the stone for its construction.

Curry spent the final years of his life building facilities for the Virginia and Truckee Railroad in Carson City. Though he had achieved prominence in Nevada, his wife claimed that he had only one dollar in his pocket when he died in 1873.

In 1858, Curry traveled by stagecoach with Green, Musser, and Proctor, from California to the town of Genoa after news had spread that the western part of Utah Territory had been abandoned by Mormon settlers returning to Salt Lake City because of the Utah War. Curry's $1000 offer to buy a corner lot on which to build a store in Genoa was refused for being insufficient.

Curry partnered with Musser and Proctor to purchase the Eagle Ranch trading post and 865 acres of the surrounding valley for a down payment of $300 in coins out of a total sale price of $1,000. Curry set aside and donated of land for the site of the Nevada State Capitol. In 1861, Curry built a 100-foot stone hotel on top of warm springs about two miles east of the city center. A large wooden eagle was placed on the top of the hotel.

In 1871, Curry had also designed and built a home for his family in Carson City, where he would spend the last two years of his life.

Abraham Curry's house was passed down to his daughter Elvira, who in turn passed it on to her son W. H. Cowan, in 1902. The house remained in the family until 1919, and is presently used as a private law office.

Curry was portrayed by the actor Mark Bennett in the 1956 episode, "The Man Who'd Bet on Anything" on the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews.

Other offices and affiliations Founding member, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Carson Encampment No. 2. (1867) Member, Masonic Lodge No. 1, Carson City Surveyor of Ormsby County (1871–1873)