James Watson Curran (April 24, 1865 – February 20, 1952) was a newspaper publisher and editor who settled in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario after purchasing a local weekly newspaper in 1901. He went on to publicize and promote the city and the Algoma District. He played a leadership role in the formation of the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie in 1918 and was actively involved in local history and tourism promotion. Early life James Watson Curran emigrated to Canada from Ireland in 1873 at the age of eight. His father John Jones Curran was a miller operating a flax mill in Greggs Mill, Loughgall, County Armagh and later Crossgar, County Down before leaving for Canada in 1873. The family traveled on the Sarmation. They settled in Toronto where they operated a millinery and dry goods store on Queen Street West between 1874 and 1875 before moving to Orillia. John Jones worked for and later owned the Essex Centre Chronicle (1880–1884). He started the Orillia News-Letter in 1884, and also published the Canadian Workman (1879-1920). Journalism Newspapers 1881–1884: Essex Chronicle 1884–1890: News-Letter, Orillia - News editor 1890–1897: Empire, Toronto - News reporter and later city editor 1897–1901: Montreal Herald - city editor 1901–1952: Sault Star - publisher and editor Curran started on his father's newspaper in Orillia before moving to progressively responsible positions in newsrooms in Toronto and Montreal. Curran was News Editor of the Montreal Herald and was on his way west when he stepped off the Canadian Pacific train in Sault Ste. Marie in 1901, and stayed. He spent a week looking into the work of industrialist Francis Hector Clergue, and wrote 32 columns for the Montreal Herald. He bought the weekly newspaper The Star from Moses McFadden. Together with his brother John Edward Gardiner Curran, Curran launched into his new newspaper business with enthusiasm and optimism. Many of his children and grandchildren continued to publish the Sault Daily Star up until the sale of the newspaper to Southam Press in 1975. Books One of the benefits of owning your own press is that you can publish your own books. Curran published two books which were drawn from stories which appeared in the pages of the Sault Daily Star. The first one was Here was Vinland (1939), drawn from 26 articles which appeared in the newspaper from August 1938 to February 1939. The stories sought to prove that