Curtis Books

Curtis Park's resident historian Dan Murphy shows how his pleasant neighborhood of well-built homes and shady streets evolved from pioneer land-grant ranches, to rural country suburbs, to today's vibrant and contemporary city district.

Murphy brings readers on a time trip from the 1850's to the present day in a series of handsome old photos, maps, and memorabilia. And he thoughtfully explores the way neighborhoods are shaped by changes in transportation over time.

He was lucky enough to find descendents of some of the original seven land owners of the area now known as Curtis Park, who shared wonderful photos with him.

All the photos are great, but some stand out as particularly noteworthy. One is an 1870 shot of a busy hay threshing operation on the Curtis Ranch where the Bret Harte School now stands. A magnificent horse, workers covered in hay dust, and old steam farm machinery show what a serious business farming was.

Another priceless photo is of master craftsman and builder Frank Williams (never to be called Squeaky in his presence unless picking a fight). Williams is astride a new motorcycle in front of a half-finished building project with his workers, for whom he just bought motorcycles as well.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his book is the focus on the metamorphosis of neighborhoods over time by transportation.

For instance, during the late 1800's, when horse and buggy rigs and wagons were the primary mode of transit, homes were built with alley access from the rear of their lots, to separate the sometimes unsightly carriage houses and utilitarian activities from dwellings. Homes were built with large porches fronting the street, so neighbors could socialize with passersby.

As horse-drawn streetcars and electric trolleys became common, carriage houses and stables disappeared, and land even further from the city proper became developed.

And as the automobile overtook horse-drawn transit, driveways blossomed - entered from the front of the lot instead of the rear - along with garages. Gracious front porches vanished along with socialization opportunities in fumes of auto exhaust.

With carefully chosen and juxtaposed photographs, Murphy has done an excellent job of showing the interplay between transportation modes and architectural trends. This book is a must read for anyone with an interest in Curtis Park, craftsman-style architecture, or the urbanization of rural neighborhoods.

Sacred Romance is an incredible book. Losing Brent Curtis is a loss to God's kingdom. His book brought me closer to God and helped me to understand the love affair that God wants to have with ME. I can never thank Brent & John enough for their stepping out and writing about the God of the Universe who loves us so much that He sacrificed everything for the Sacred Romance.

I purchased the work book first, that goes with this book, and got so much out of it by just working thru it with my Bible, that i choose to buy the book also. Just received it yesterday and already have read thru the first chapter, It really makes you think and search a deeper commintment to God...and makes you figure out your own heart... I have really learned from this...

This book was extremly enjoyable to read. Cutis Badger opens his heart in several chapters, speaking of his love for his son and his love for the land he was raised on. The illistrations are also amazing, and offer a lot of emotional feeling. This book is also informative, and includes interesting knowledge about the marshes and creeks enjoys.

Dr. Hutson believed the plan of salvation had been confused by so many preachers, so that he was compelled to put forth this volume of 27 sermons on how one can know he is going to heaven. He was a personal soul winner and through the preaching of the messages in this volume, he led hundreds of souls to Christ. Each sermon is followed by an invitation to trust Christ as savior now. So precious was this subject to Dr. Hutson, that shortly before he died in 1995, he instructed his family to have the simple plan of salvation engraved on his memorial stone. The emphasis is on the Gospel, the blood of Jesus Christ, and the way of salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

This is an excellent ebook, with lots of information about how the homeschooling lifestyle can save a family lots of money.

A wonderful extension for a wonderful book. This book meets all the present-day standards for education and is cross-curricular in nature. This is not the typical "book report" format found in so many other companion workbooks. Activities range from paper-pencil, to roleplaying, to technology, to current and past newspaper events and on and on. I've examined many such workbooks and this is one of the best I've ever seen. Amy Griffin has done a thorough job here.

I thought "Second Fastest Gun" was an extrodinary book. It grabbed my attention in the first few pages and held my attention to the very last page. I liked the fact that the "Gunfighter/bad guy" turned out to be a man of honor and by the end of the book had earned the trust and respect of the whole town. I also was glad that in the end he got his woman.

This is a very good story fitting today's family issues and showing young teens that they can cope with divorce. I enjoyed the story line and learned alot about the legends of Canada and how closely they follow Loch Ness. I would highly recommend this book to preteens,teens, and adults. Very heart warming. Absolutely loved it.

As a long time lover of adolescent fiction, I was thrilled to read this gem! The characters are well constructed and quite funny. Ms. Glynn has captured the inner (and external!) voice of teenage boys...she must have sons...and the story line will capture the imagination of everyone who reads this. I curled up on a rainy day and accompanied by many cups of tea, read this from cover to cover. It is a terrific, FUN, intriguing read. I'd love to see an entire series spin off of this...watch out Harry Potter. This is also so visual that I could imagine a Disney Channel series for kids! Buy this for the kids in your life, they will love it, and so will YOU!