Prominent and esteemed among the citizens of El Monte and for fifteen years, editor and owner of the El Monte Gazette, Curtis C.M. Maltman served the community conscientiously and well. In addition to his work of recording local events, and moulding public opinion by his able editorials, Mr. Maltman also served the community for five years in the capacity of the postmaster, which office he held at his death in 1928.

Born December 20, 1869, in Jackson Michigan, the son of John Maltman, a native of Canada, Curtis Maltman was educated in the public schools of Jackson, and later completed a commercial course in a Moorehead, Minnesota, business college. His first work on his own account was in a store in Sherman, Texas, in the year 1883. Soon after this his newspaper career began, when he entered the employ of newspapers in Sherman and Waco, Texas. Following a few years of this work, he purchased an interest in a local paper in Belton, Texas, and promoted its publication until in 1904, when he moved to California.

He first settled in Monrovia, and following a year’s residence there during which time he followed his newspaper work with the paper of that town, he came to El Monte and purchased the “El Monte Gazette”, which at that time was only about a year old. In 1906 he sold the “Gazette” and for four years was associated with the newspapers of Escondido and Alhambra.

Returning to El Monte in 1910, he again acquired the “Gazette” and resumed its editing until 1923, when he disposed of it to accept the postmastership of El Monte. At the time that he sold the “Gazette”, Mr. Maltman retained a portion of the equipment including a small printing press, and in his spare time from his duties as postmaster, he conducted a job printing business. In this together with his post office work, he continued active until his untimely death, which occurred June 30, 1928.

In 1898, Mr. Maltman was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie B. Sanders, a native of Texas, whose parents traveled to that state from Tennessee in a covered wagon. To this union were born five children, three of whom are living at this time; Nellie L. (Mrs. Clifford) of Riverside, Curtis S., of San Gabriel, and Frank L. the youngest, who resides with his mother at 120 West Valley Boulevard.

Fraternally, Mr. Maltman was a Mason and an Odd Fellow. Politically he was a Republican. In religion, he was a member of the Emanuel Episcopal Church, as also is Mrs. Maltman.