Charles Townsend (Ohio politician)

Charles Townsend was a Republican politician in the Ohio House of Representatives, Ohio Senate, and was Ohio Secretary of State from 1881 to 1883.

Charles Townsend was born December 22, 1834 in Harrisville, Belmont County, Ohio. He attended common schools, and graduated from Ohio University in 1861. He founded Decamp Institute in Meigs County, Ohio, and was in charge of that school when the American Civil War began.^[1] 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.^[1]

In 1877 he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives for the 64th General Assembly, and re-elected in 1879 for the 65th.^[2] 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.^[3]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Smith 1898 : 434
2. ^ Ohio 1917 : 292
3. ^ Ohio 1917 : 246

References

• Smith, Joseph P, ed (1898). History of the Republican Party in Ohio. I. Chicago: the Lewis Publishing Company. http://books.google.com/books?id=eaAFAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA434. 
• Ohio General Assembly (1917). Manual of legislative practice in the General Assembly. State of Ohio. http://books.google.com/books?id=7qesAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA292. 

Persondata
Name	Townsend, Charles
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1834
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death