David Wood Townsend (July 18, 1844 – March 8, 1912) was an American business owner and builder in Western Iowa.
Starting out representing Knapp, Stout & Co. Lumber, he later owned and operated several Townsend Bros. Lumber Yards both in Iowa and Nebraska. He also owned several general mercantile stores in Iowa.
Some of the buildings he built are listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings in Iowa.
Early life David Wood Townsend was born at Mount Gilead, Ohio, July 18, 1844, to Eli and Abigail Mosher (Wood) Townsend. Abigail was the sister of Samuel Newitt Wood and Stephen Mosher Wood. His parents and grandparents were involved in the Underground Railroad in Ohio.
Career In 1882, he oversaw the building of the Plymouth County Bank building.Iowa Liberal, Le Mars, Iowa, Wednesday, April 12, 1882, Pg 1 In 1884, Townsend and J. M. Starbuck contracted to build the Ida County Courthouse.Building age, Volume 6, Carpentry And Building. Vol. VI.—1884. In 1884, Townsend was contracted to build the school house at Cherokee, Iowa.Le Mars Daily Sentinel, May 31, 1884, pg 3
In 1886, Townsend contracted and oversaw the building of the Marshall County Courthouse (Iowa) and the court house at Council Bluffs and built a hotel at Sioux City.Engineering news-record, Volume 15, January to July, 1886 That same year he also added another story to the Sioux City Journal building in Sioux City.Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, July 10, 1936, pg 7 In 1898, he contracted with Cutting & Willett and K of P Lodge at Oto, Woodbury county, Iowa to build a two story brick building with the lodge taking the top floor.Sioux Valley News, September 15, 1898
He also owned several general mercantile stores including one at Melrose, Iowa Le Mars Sentinel, December 20, 1889, pg 3 and another one at Granville, Iowa.Alton Democrat, November 8, 1890, pg 8 He also owned and operated a mercantile establishment at Edgerton, Minnesota.Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, February 19, 1894, pg 3
In the 1890s, Townsend owned the ACME Real Estate and Exchange Co., of Cherokee, Iowa.
He also managed the Cherokee Brick and Tile Works in the 1890s after his partner John M. Starbuck left for the Klondike Gold Rush.Fort Dodge Semi-Weekly Chronicle, January 1, 1898 They supplied over 10,000,000 bricks for the Cherokee Mental Health Institute Insane Asylum.Sioux City Journal, November 22, 1896
Personal life Townsend married Mary Ellen Brown on April 14, 1868 and they were the parents of Glenn Eli Townsend, Clara Ellen Townsend, Charles Willis Townsend, Perry Townsend, Archie Townsend, Royal Wood Townsend, Mary Edna (Townsend) Adsit, and Elma Townsend. Townsend married Sarah Maggie (Ellis) Cooper on February 14, 1882 and they were the parents of Helene (Townsend) Smith and David Waldo Townsend. Townsend married Mary Ann Bunford in 1906.
He died in Wichita, Kansas on March 8, 1912.
Townsend's grandson David W. Townsend was an Art Director for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in the 1930s.Los Angeles Times, August 6, 1935, "Crash Kills Film Expert, David Townsend, Art Aide, Dead and Three Injured as Car Falls in Canyon" pg A2
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