Curtis Street
From Worcester Activist wiki
The first white resident of Worcester was Ephraim Curtis.
Born March 31, 1642, Ephraim waited until he was 31. Then he left Sudbury with a pack on his back, an axe and Spanish rifle, and turned his feet toward the place that one day would be Worcester.
It took him two days. He pitched a lean-to on upper Lincoln street. Six generations later his descendants were still living about the site.
Some historians claim Ephraim was attracted by rumors that the Indians had a valuable lead mine not far from Wigwam Hill.
Others claim Ephraim bought land here on Sept. 20, 1670, from Mary Noyes, widow of Thomas Noyes of Sudbury. He later sold 500 acres near Lake Quinsigamond-now between the Home Farm and Adams square-to John Curtis.
In any event, Ephraim lived alone in Worcester for a year or more. It must have been a lonely life.
He later told how after working all day, he would sit and look towards Sudbury and shed tears in spite of himself.
But Ephraim stayed until driven out by the Indians during the King Philip War. Then, as a lieutenant, he took an active role against the redskins. An early historian wrote of Curtis: “He was about 33 years old at this time, a notable scout and hunter, well versed in Indian ways and intimately acquainted with may of these tribes. He was also a trader and had a home at Worcester.”
When the settlers staked out their land claims, Ephraim put in for the whole of Worcester. But the Great and General Court compromised with about 200 acres near the upper part of Plantation street and another lot near Grafton street.
Curtis street was named by a descendant of the pioneer in 1872.
The core of this article comes from A History of Your City Streets.
