California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
 
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 

Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914


CURTIS A. MILLER.� The fact that, after having become familiar 
with landed conditions throughout all portions of the west and even in other 
countries, Mr. Miller selected Mendocino county as the base of his future 
activities and the center of enormous investments by the company which he 
represented, shows that in his judgment this is a region with great future 
possibilities. Travel has made him familiar with almost every part of the 
United States, as well as with Canada, Mexico and European countries. The 
occupation of a mining engineer took him into remote and isolated regions 
and familiarized him with conditions in many different localities, so that his 
judgment is based on experience and his opinion takes thereby an added touch 
of authority. Born in Denver, Colo., November 1, 1871, he was ten years of 
age when the family moved to Southern California, but later he returned to 
Colorado in order to pursue the mining engineering course in the Colorado 
School of Mines at Golden, that state. On the conclusion of the regular 
course of study he was sent out to aid in the filling of contracts. His work 
took him into Mexico, South America and Africa. Besides many important 
tasks as a mining engineer, he was employed in railroad contracting. On 
the Cuernavaca Railroad near the City of Mexico he put in the largest blast 
ever used in railroad construction, moving in one shot with twenty-two tons 
of powder seventy-six thousand cubic yards. To him also was given the 
construction of all the cement bridges on the Mexican Central Railroad from 
El Paso south for a distance of one thousand kilometers, a contract of 
enormous magnitude and heavy responsibilities. His last work as a mining 
engineer was at the celebrated Lluva de Oro mines in Mexico, owned by the 
Rock Island Railroad Company, in whose interests he constructed a large 
and expensive reduction plant. 

With the year 1905 Mr. Miller became associated with a Minnesota 
syndicate of bankers, who bought property in all parts of Canada, United 
States and South America, and who now own about seven thousand acres 
in Mendocino county. After having traveled throughout the west and in- 
vestigated all classes of unimproved property, Mr. Miller selected Mendocino 
county as offering the best opportunities to investors. The following are 
some of the holdings of his company : The celebrated Lane Springs, known 
as Morning Spring ranch, which comprises one thousand acres situated four- 
teen miles north of Ukiah in the Redwood valley; the Bonnie Hills ranch 
comprising fourteen hundred and forty acres situated two miles north of 
Ukiah ; the Sunset ranch of three thousand acres, two miles from Sherwood ; 
and two hundred and twenty acres in the Redwood valley, two miles from 
Calpella, to be developed into a pear orchard. Mr. Miller has established 
him home in Ukiah and has opened a real estate office on North State street, 
it being his intention not only to handle the company properties, but also to 
buy and sell other realty and to act as agent for intending purchasers. While 
living in Minnesota he was prominent in the Star of the East Lodge No. 85, 
F. &. A. M., at Owatonna. and Owatonna Chapter No. 13, R. A. M., and also 
bore a leading part in many civic movements of importance. In California 
he is a member of the Southern Club of San Francisco. 

Mr. Miller's marriage united him with Mrs. Isabelle (Mills) Fuller, of 
Toronto, Canada. His political sympathies ally him with the Republican 
party. He is a director of the Ukiah Realty Board and a member of the 
Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade.