GEORGE TOWNSEND, one of the representative farmers of Kiskiminetas township, was born March 12, 1844, on the farm on which he now resides, in Kiskiminetas township, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Shoemaker) Townsend.

His paternal grandfather, Isaac Townsend, was born in England in 1760, and came, in 1775, to what is now Kiskiminetas township, where, about 1780, he married Rachel King, by whom he had seven sons and three daughters. One of these sons was William Townsend (father), who was born in Kiskiminetas township in 1800. Af fifteen years of age he learned the trade of blacksmith with his father, and worked with his brother until his marriage, when he bought the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch, and removed to it in the spring of 1829. He followed farming until his death, on April 6, 1884. He was a democrat, a member, deacon and elder of the Lutheran church at Maysville, and married Elizabeth Shoemaker, an esteemed woman, who was beloved by all who knew her.

They had twelve children (two died in infancy), six sons and six daughters: Joseph, Augustus, Elizabeth, Susan, Linus and Polly, all deceased; Margaret, born in 1832, wife of Israel Ashbaugh; Labanna, born in 1839, married to Julia Armstrong; Israel, born in 1841, married Sarah Shirley; and George. Mr. Townsend died April 6, 1884, and Mrs. Townsend died September 1, 1889. Both sleep in the cemetery at Maysville.

Mrs. Townsend was a daughter of Solomon Shoemaker (maternal grandfather), who was born in Loudon county, Va., in 1770, came to Armstrong county in 1799, and settled near Spring Church, where he took up three hundred and fifty acres of land, which he and his sons cleared and improved. He was a democrat, a member of the Reformed church for some time at what is now known as St. James', and was one of the organizers of the Lutheran church at Boilings Springs. In 1790 he married Elizabeth Uncafer, of Loudon county, Va., and they had nine children, of whom six grew to man and womanhood: John, born in 1795, married Nancy Minnelright; Joseph, born in 1799, married to Sallie Winel; Catherine, born in 1801, wife of John Earhart; George, born May 26, 1804, married Elizabeth Grimm; Margaret, born in 1807,wife of Raymond Densell; and Elizabeth (mother). Mrs. Shoemaker passed away in 1846, and Mr. Shoemaker died in 1854.

George Townsend was reared on a farm, and received his education in the public schools of Kiskiminetas township. At the death of his father he bought the homestead farm, on which he now resides (when this was written in 1891. It contains one hundred and thirty-seven acres, and is now one of the best farms in the county.

On July 2, 1874, he married Frances M., daughter of John Laughlan, who is a farmer of Kiskiminetas township. Four children have been born to this union,--one son and three daughters: Della M., born May 8, 1875; Willam M., born June 14, 1876; Mary E., born August 24, 1880, and Hannah P., born October 4, 1882. Mrs. Townsend passed away April 28, 1888.

George Townsend is a prominent democrat in politics, but no aspirant for office. He is a member of the Lutheran church at Maysville, of which he has been both deacon and elder. He has been very successful in life, and is one of the influential men of his township.

Source: "Biographical And Historical Cyclopedia Of Indiana And Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania"; Published by, John M. Gresham & Co., Managed by, Samuel T. Wiley, Historian And Editor, Nos. 1218 and 1220 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, 1891, pp 628-629