Charles Townsend (Ohio politician)

Charles Townsend was born December 22, 1834, in Harrisville,^[2] Belmont County, Ohio, to Samuel H. Townsend and Rebecca Morrison, and removed to Athens County in childhood.^[3] He attended common schools, and taught school for expenses^[3] as he attended Ohio University, where he graduated in 1861. He founded Decamp Institute in Meigs County, Ohio, and was in charge of that school when the American Civil War began.^[2] In July, 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army, and in August was made a captain in the Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On January 27, 1864, he was made Major of the regiment. After the War he graduated from Cincinnati Law School in 1866. Townsend was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Athens County, Ohio, three times.^[2]

In 1877 he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives for the 64th General Assembly, and re-elected in 1879 for the 65th.^[4] He resigned when he was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 1880, and ran again in 1882, but was defeated. He served as State Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1887 for the 9th District in the 68th General Assembly.^[5]

Townsend married Margaret Jane Allen in October 1859, and had three children, Helen, Charles and Mary.^[3] He was a Mason.^[3]

• Smith, Joseph P, ed. (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. Vol. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company.
• Ohio General Assembly (1917). Manual of legislative practice in the General Assembly. State of Ohio.
• Reed, George Irving; Randall, Emilius Oviatt; Greve, Charles Theodore, eds. (1897). Bench and Bar of Ohio: a Compendium of History and Biography. Vol. 2. Chicago: Century Publishing and Engraving Company.
• Reid, Whitelaw (1895). "Ohio's 30th infantry". Ohio in the War Her Statesmen Generals and Soldiers. Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Robert Clarke Company. p. 200.

Political offices
Preceded by Milton Barnes	Secretary of State of Ohio 1881–1883	Succeeded by James W. Newman