Although Andrew Curtin never lived in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, he was involved in the business affairs of the community and his pursuits added positively to the growth of our town.
Andrew Gregg Curtin was born up the Bald Eagle Valley in 1817 on an iron plantation that his father, Roland Curtin, established in Centre County near Bellefonte. The younger Curtin studied law and entered into politics. Others in his family followed the same pursuit.
In the 1850s, he was the second president of the Tyrone & Clearfield Railroad. This was one of three branch lines based in Tyrone that eventually generated enough commerce to see Tyrone become the home, simultaneously, to three National Banks. Mr. Curtin was also on the board of the Blair County Banking Company in Tyrone. Upon his death in 1896, his wife’s name shows up in records as continuing his affairs in Tyrone.
Civil War governor and Lincoln confidant
On a national level, Mr. Curtin was governor two terms during the Civil War era. In 1861, he established the training facility for northern troops, known as Camp Curtin, at Harrisburg. He soon gained the confidence of Abraham Lincoln and became a close friend and confidante. He visited the White House several times to discuss the war privately.
It was Andrew G. Curtin who was the principal force behind establishing the National Cemetery at Gettysburg following the bloody battle that took place there. Governor Curtin sent word to the White House, through his agent, that Mr. Lincoln should attend the dedication and sat with President Lincoln on the platform November 19, 1863, when Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address.
A fine example of his ties to Tyrone is preserved in a stock certificate issued in January 1867 to aid in the funding of improvements on the Bald Eagle Valley Railroad. An agent acquired 153 shares of stock on this line and hand-carried this certificate to Harrisburg where it was presented to its owner — Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin.
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