Joshua Herring Curtis, a farmer ten miles west of the city of Dallas, was born in McDowell County, North Carolina, December 5, 1838, a son of Robert Curtis, a native of the same county. The latter subsequently removed to Shannon County, Missouri and shortly afterward to Bentonville, Arkansas where he died May 6, 1891, at the age of seventy-five years. Our subject's mother, nee Emily Curtis, was a daughter of Moses Curtis, also a native of McDowell County, North Carolina. Mrs. Curtis was born and reared in that county, and died many years ago at Bentonville, Arkansas. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had seven children, viz.: William, a farmer and stock raiser of Indian Territory, Moses, a physician of Bell County, this State; John N., a miller of Bentonville, Arkansas; Mollie, the widow of George Greenwood) and a resident of Bentonville; Sarah, the wife of William W Reynolds, also of Bentonville; and George, deceased. The subject of this sketch remained in Bentonville, Arkansas until 1858, and at that date he decided to try his fortune in the West. He made a trip to Pike's Peak, and remained in the mountains about twelve months, after which he returned to Bentonville, and later to Texas, and was here at the opening of the Civil War. He enlisted in the Confederate service in the spring of 1861. According to pension records, he served in Company B, Corporal , 26th Regiment, Texas Cavalry, DeBray's/Davis' Mounted Battalion. He served in the Trans-Mississippi Department, from the Rio Grande to the Louisiana State line. He also served a part of the time as Captain of the couriers. After the close of the war, Mr. Curtis returned to Dallas County, and in 1865 settled down to farm life, and with the exception of a few years spent in Young and Jack counties, this State, he has resided in Dallas County for the last twenty-five years, and has been alternatively engaged in the farming, stock-raising and the mercantile business. He now has a farm of 160 acres, a large part of which is under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. Curtis was married in 1865, to a daughter of Wesley and Sarah (Wilson) Cockrell, natives of Fayette county, Kentucky. The latter came to this county in 1847, settling about six miles west of the city of Dallas. They located a farm of 160 acres, where the father died December 18, 1885, at the age of sixty-eight years, and the mother in March, 1875 at the age of fifty-eight years. They both were members of the Baptist Church, having spent the greater part of their lives in the services of that church, and both were buried in the old family cemetery on the farm. They had a family of nine children, viz: Pelina, the wife of D. A. Lacey, a sketch of whom appears in this work, Morgan, deceased, Permelia, wife of J.H. Curtis, William, deceased, Martha, who died at the age of four years, Ellis, residing on the old homestead, Susan deceased, Nannie, who married T.A. Gray of this county, and now deceased, and Lee, a resident of Dallas County. Mrs. Curtis was born in Cass County, Missouri, September 30, 1848, and was but four years of age when her parents came to this county. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have had seven children, as follows: Robert Wesley was born July 30, 1866, William Madison, June 10, 1869, Don Carlos, June 12, 1871, Dora Lee, February 17, 1874, Birdie C., November 21, 1876, Lillie, October 24, 1881, and Leo, October 13, 1884. The eldest child, Robert Wesley, died December 23, 1874, Birdie C. died September8, 1880, and Dora Lee was married to Thomas P. Ross, of Dallas County, December 30, 1888. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Dallas County, Texas, Joshua and Permelia appear with three children, Dora, 26 and widowed, Lillie 18, and Leo 15. Joshua lists his occupation as teamster unemployed for 4 months. He rents a house, can read and write. J. W. Hargrove, M.G.