James Michael Curran (1903 - 1968)

Born 9 Jun 1903 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States

Descendants

Died 12 Feb 1968 at age 64 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, United States

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Biography

James Curran is Notable.

James Michael Curran is known for the invention of the ski lift.

He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1903. An article published in 2001 in the Idaho Mountain Express stated that his parents were immigrants from Ireland,^[1] but records indicate that only his father was from Ireland; his mother was from Pennsylvania.

The 1920 U.S. Census recorded James Curran, age 16, at 1702 W Street in Omaha, in the household of Thomas Curran, age 65, his father, who was born in Ireland, and Margret Curran, age 53, who was born in Pennsylvania to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Pennsylvania. Thomas Curran worked as a "temperture man" in a packing house. Three of the children in the household were born in Nebraska to a father born in Ireland and a mother born in Pennsylvania: Bernard, 21 or 22 (the age is overwritten and it is not clear which was the final entry); James, 16; and Margret, 13. Two other Curran children are identified as sons of Thomas but are more likely to be nephews or grandsons; these are Edward, age 6, born in California to a father born in Illinois and a mother born in Nebraska, and Joseph, age 5, born in Nebraska to a father born in Illinois and a mother born in Nebraska.^[2]

James's education was limited to high school and night school, but he successfully passed the examination to become licensed as a professional engineer.

The 1930 U.S. Census recorded James Curran, age 26, and wife Alvena, also age 26, in Omaha, Nebraska, with newborn daughter Colleen. James was born in Nebraska to a father born in the Irish Free State and a mother born in Pennsylvania. Alvena was born in Iowa to parents who were born in Germany. James worked as a draughtsman for the "railroad (bridge) industry."^[3]

The 1940 U.S. Census recorded J. M. Curran and wife Alvena Curran, both age 36, at 3710 B Street in Omaha, Nebraska, with children Colleen, age 10, Marilyn, age 8, and James, age 3. J. M. Curran was a draftsman for a steam railroad. The family had lived in the same house in 1935.^[4]

While working as a bridge engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad, he designed an aerial conveyor system to move bananas into the holds of ships in Honduras. Union Pacific Railroad engineers considered the concept to be too dangerous to implement. He adapted his design for a banana conveyor system to become a system for moving skiers up a mountain side by chairlift, and the first workable chairlift system for skiers was built to his design at Sun Valley, Idaho, and began operation in December 1936 when the new Sun Valley Resort opened there.

James M. Curran died on 12 February 1968 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska. He shares a grave marker with his wife Alvena Curran, who died in 2007.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Ski shrine elects chairlift inventor, Idaho Mountain Express, September 2001.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRX6-51?cc=1488411&wc=QZJ5-B61%3A1036473301%2C1036471902%2C1037763901%2C1589332552 : 12 September 2019), Nebraska > Douglas > Omaha Ward 6 > ED 68 > image 11 of 34; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRC8-7Y8?cc=1810731&wc=QZF7-9N7%3A648805601%2C649032801%2C648981001%2C1589282691 : 8 December 2015), Nebraska > Douglas > Omaha > ED 76 > image 35 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9M1-SNJ4?cc=2000219&wc=QZXY-FWD%3A790104401%2C790250901%2C792364601%2C792368001 : accessed 26 July 2021), Nebraska > Douglas > Omaha City, Omaha, Ward 7 > 94-96 Omaha City Ward 7 (Area D - part) > image 7 of 28; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
5. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166728040/james-m-curran : accessed 26 July 2021), memorial page for James M Curran Sr. (1903–12 Feb 1968), Find a Grave Memorial ID 166728040, citing Calvary Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, USA ; Maintained by Colleen German (contributor 48317562).

• Laukatis, Algis J. UPRR invented the ski lift -- in Omaha. Lincoln Journal Star Online (Lincoln, Nebraska), December 1, 2010.
• Ski shrine elects chairlift inventor, Idaho Mountain Express, September 2001.
• Engber, Daniel. v, New York Times Magazine, 20 Feb 2014.
• Kuta, Sara. The Invention of the Ski Chairlift, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb 2012.
• U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum, James Curran profile. Accessed 22 July 2021.
• Wikipedia: James Michael Curran