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H.B. Townsend
H. B. TOWNSEND, a farmer of Kiskiminetas township, Armstrong county, was
born April 9, 1856, in that township, son of A. K. And Mary Jane (Gamble)
Townsend. The first of the Townsend family of whom anything definite is known
was once a heavy landowner in England, but lost all his property through
speculation.Isaac Townsend, his son, was born in England about 1760, and on account of
his father’s losses came to the Colonies about 1775. He settled in what was
then Westmoreland county, Pa., but is now Kiskiminetas township, Armstrong
county, Pa., where he bought 400 acres from George Wolf, for which he paid
seventy-five cents per acre. This property has been developed into the most
valuable land in the county. A many-sided man, he could do almost anything to
which he bent his mind, and became extremely prominent in his locality, where
he was called upon to settle numerous disputes among his neighbors, for his
authority and level judgment were never questioned. After the organization of
the Democratic party he adhered to its principles, and was elected on its
ticket as auditor, assessor and road supervisor of his township. Although
reared a Quaker, after marriage he bacame a member of the Lutheran Church, in
which he was an elder for many years. In 1780 he married Rachel King, who was
of German extraction, and they had ten children: John, Henry, Isaac, Robert,
Joseph, William, Polly, Susan and two that died in infancy unnamed. Mr.
Townsend passed away in 1847, after a life of usefulness and Christian living.Henry Townsend was born on the home farm of Isaac Townsend about 1795, and
during his earlier years drilled salt wells and manufactured salt, later on in
life devoting himself to agricultural pursuits. Politically he held the same
faith as his father, and supported the principles of the Democratic party. The
Lutheran Church had in him a devout member. On Feb. 2, 1829, Henry Townsend
married Catherine Ulam, by whom he had ten children.A. K. Townsend attended the old subscription school in the district where
he was born in December, 1826, on the old Townsend homestead. In addition to
the educational training he obtained in this primitive school, Mr. Townsend
secured information upon varied subjects by reading, and kept himself well
informed upon all the leading topics of interest of his time. He became the
owner of 400 acres of choice farm land, which he operated profitably. A
Jacksonian Democrat, he was a geat admirer of Andrew Jackson, Elder’s Ridge
Presbyterian Church held his membership, and received his generous support of
both time and money. On Nov. 6, 1851, Mr. Townsend married Mary J. Gamble, and
ten children were born of this union, eight of whom survive, H. B. Townsend
being the third child in the order of birth.Daniel Ulam, from whom Mr. Townsend is descended through his grandmother,
was born in eastern Pennsylvania about 1745, in 1805 moving to Westmoreland
county, where he bought and farmed a large tract of land. He was a Democrat.
His religious faith made him a member of the Lutheran Church, which he served
faithfully and conscientiously. In 1775 he married, and his family consisted
of eight children. His death occurred in 1815, his widow surviving until 1839.Catherine Ulam carried Henry Townsend, and one of their children was A. K.
Townsend, the father of H. B. Townsend, who thus traces his ancestry back
thorugh two prominent families on his father’s side, the Townsends and Ulams,
and through the Gambles on the mother’s side.H. B. Townsend attended district school until eighteen years old, when he
left school to devote all his attention to farming, remaining with his father
until he was twenty-seven years old, when he married. Following his marriage
he rented a farm for two years, and then bought 100 acres of the home place,
upon which he resided for eight years. The succeeeding two years he spent on
the Tanner farm, but in 1893 he bought and moved upon 252 acres two miles east
of Avonmore, which has continued to be his home. Mr. Townsend is a good
general farmer, understanding thoroughly the work in hand, and believing in
scientific methods. His land has been brought into a fine state of
development, and he reaps banner crops from his fertile acres. His premises
all show that a good manager is at the helm, and his stock is of good quality.
Such farms as that owned by Mr. Townsend indicate very forcibly the change
which modern inventions and ideas have wrought in agriculture.Mr. Townsend was united in marriage with Jennie Fairman, and they have the
following children: Margaretta, Myrna, Cloyd, Julia, Glade, Ruth, Gertrude and
Kenneth.The church at Avonmore owned by the Presbyterian demonination was erected
through the instrumentality of Mr. Townsend and several other members, and he
continues to give it his loyal support. For the past few years he has been one
of its trustees, and he is a man of importance in the organization as he is in
his community. A strong Democrat, he is very active in the interests of his
party, although not one who seeks political preferment.Source: Pages 725-726 Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed October 1998 by Joyce Sherry for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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