Rachel Curtiss and Charles Orville Blair
CHARLES ORVILLE BLAIR, son of LAMOILLE LUCY PARISH and CHARLES NORRIS BLAIR, was born July 6, 1877 in Solomon, Dickinson, Kansas,456, 8289 and died June 6, 1922 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma.8289, 456 He is buried in Prairie Mound Cemetery, Solomon, Dickinson, Kansas.456
He married RACHEL CURTISS on March 12, 1906 in Abilene, Dickinson, Kansas.4775 She was born July 18, 1881 in Jerseyville, Jersey, Illinois,4532 and died August 6, 1958 in Los Angeles County, California.250
Children of RACHEL CURTISS and CHARLES ORVILLE BLAIR:
- MARGARET M. BLAIR, b. 1908, Kansas; m. EUGENE WILLIAM REICHMANN on March 24, 1932 in Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas8036.
- MARJORIE LORRAINE BLAIR, b. 1915, Louisiana; m. THOMAS MORRIS FERGUSON on December 6, 1941 in Little Church of the Flowers, Glendale, Los Angeles, California10907.
Marriage Announcements and News
Abilene Daily Reflector, March 13, 19064775
Curtiss-Blair.
At the home of the bride's parents, Dr. and Mrs. J. T. Curtiss, last evening in the presence of near relatives and friends, were married Miss Rachel Curtiss and Mr. Orville Blair of Ft. Collins, Colo., Rev. Dr. Blaynew officiating. The bride and groom left for their home, Ft. Collins, on the night U. P. train.
The wedding is the consummation of a pretty romance. Mr. Blair formerly lived at Solomon and was injured in a wreck east of town on the Union Pacific six years ago. While recovering he was at the hospital then on Sixth street and the acquaintance began between the young people. Mr. Blair is one of the most successful businessmen of Ft. Collins. The bride is one of Abilene's most esteemed young ladies. Nearly all her life has been spent here and she has a host of friends who will wish for the happy couple abundant joy.
Newspaper Articles
Abilene Democrat, November 10, 18998290
A REAR END COLLISON
A FREIGHT TRAIN WITH A DOUBLE HEADER CRASHES INTO A FREIGHT EAST OF TOWN
Orville Blair of Solomon Badly Hurt and a Seneca Horse Doctor Probable Fatally Injured
THE HEROISM OF ORVILLE BLAIR
Yesterday morning about twenty minutes past seven o'clock Union Pacific freight train No. 13 on the main track about two miles east of Abilene, ditching one engine, derailing another and demolishing both. One passenger was injured so that he will die and another has a broken leg and a very much scalded body. THe name of the former is Hunnewell and his is a veterinary surgeon with his home at Seneca, this state. The other is Orville Blair, whose home is south of Solomon.
The wreck occurred under very much the same circumstances as to place and cause as the wreck of a year ago, when a stock train was ditched and the town was overrun with Texas steers. A heavy fog hung over the earth, so dense that the trainmen could not see the length of a telephone pole.
Both trains were headed west. Number 13, which had come in late, had begun to slacken her speed in order to get on the side track and make things clear for No. 11, which was about due. This made the rear end of the train reach about two miles east of the depot. The trainmen had put out flags, but in the dense fog the engineer failed to see them, and he was not aware of the presence of No. 13 until his engine struck the caboose. No. 11, which had a double header, was going at the rate of thirty miles an hour, the other about fifteen.
As the front engine struck the caboose it flew the track on the north side but was pushed along by the rear engine and it landed with its head eastward in the ditch on top of the caboose. The tender and a car were also ditched. The rear engine was derailed but di not tip over.
None of the trainmen were hurt, though they were all considerably shaken up.
The gentlemen named above were passengers on No. 13 and were the only occupants of the caboose. Hunnewell was caught under the stove of the caboose, and Blair was in a similar position under an engine. After much effort the men were extricated and their wounds attended to by Dr. Witmer, who was the first physician to arrive on the scene. As soon as practicable, the wounded men were loaded on a wagon and taken to Felty & Witmer's sanitarium. THe cries of Hunnewell on the way to the sanitarium were heartrending. He suffered untold agony from the start, and was fully conscious of it all. Those who were on the scene will never forget it, indelibly stamped as it was on their memories. Hunnewell's injuries were all over his body, he being scalded, burned and bruised in awful shape. Blair has a broken leg and is badly burned about the abdomen. His sufferings, though not as bad as Hunnewell's, were nevertheless intense. And right here we want to mention a circumstance that deserves more than passing notice. The physician went first to attend to Blair, but the latter, mustering all the strength he had, motioned the physician away and said, "Go to that man over there, he needs you worse than I do." Talk about courage and heroic self-sacrifice! The writer has known Orville Blair from his childhood; and we are not one bit surprised at this exhibition of thoughtful self sacrifice. We could but wish that this had occurred to someone other than he, but since it did not we can only trust that his injuries will not prevent his speedy recovery to his former health and strength. He is an exemplary young man and comes from one of the best families in the country.
Hunnewell, who is a single man, was on his way to Salina to visit his folks. Blair, who is a nephew of Mrs. D. L. Parker and a cousin of Mrs. Chas. Crooks of this city, had been to Junction City on a visit.
A wrecking train was sent from Junction to clear the track.
Obituaries
Abilene Daily Reflector, June 10, 19228289
Orville Blair Dead
Orville Blair, age 40 years, died the first of the week in Oklahoma City. The burial took place in the Prairie Mound cemetery. Mr. Blair was the son of C. N. Blair of Solomon and was born and raised in that community.
Census Records
| Date | Location | Enumerated Names |
|---|---|---|
| June 8, 18804748 | Lincoln, Dickinson, Kansas |
|
| 18854782 | Lincoln, Dickinson, Kansas |
|
| June 18, 19003202 | Lincoln, Dickinson, Kansas |
|
| May 16, 19104776 | Union, Woodward, Oklahoma |
|
| January 6, 19201663 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma |
|
| January 14, 19208291 | Shreveport, Caddo, Louisiana |
|
| April 10, 19308292 | Hot Springs, Garland, Arkansas |
|
| April 11, 19406897 | Wichita Falls, Wichita, Texas |
|
| April 17, 19509515 | Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California |
|
