Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/543

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES tion to the administration o f his duties, and his live interest in local affairs has abated in no degree since his retirement Irom the office, h is influence being as potent and as carefully exercised as ever. Broad-minded and fars i^ t c d, he has shown thorough sympathy with the most progressive conservators o! Hloomsburg’s resources. M r. Townsend is a native o f Gloucester­ shire, England, bom in i & p. H e has been a resident o f Bloomsburg since 18 7 1. his fa­ ther and uncle settling here some years pre­ viously. In 1891 he opened a merchant tailor­ ing business in the First National Bank build­ ing, continuing there until 1908, when he moved to his present location, which property he owns. Mr. Townsend's connection with the civic affairs o f Bloomsburg began in 1888 w ith his election to the school M ard, o f which body he continued to be .in efficient member fo r the next nine years—three terms of three years each. In 1902 he w as elected president o f Bloomsburg. which is the only town in the State o f Pennsylvania where the president of the town council is also mayor, .md he w as twice reelected, holding the office for three successive terms. Such unqualified indorse­ ment o f his policies and personal exertions requires no comment. O f his special achieve­ ments, the success of the Bloomsburg Centen­ nial may be cited as an example, lie served a s chairman of the Centennial committee, without pay. T he celebration w as held during the first year o f his administration, and he is given c i ^ i t fo r being the "backbone” of the whole plan. Though there are many xvho predicted its failure he carried it through triumphantly, and the town had anniversary exercises appropriate and adequate to the oc­ casion— a bright spot in her history. When the memorable flood o f 1904 damaged the un­ prepared town he acted promptly in the relief ann aid work and as chairman of the relief commiitce gave his scn 'iccs ungrudgingly to raising and disbursing the funds so generously placed at his disposal. F o r the last twenty years he has been serving as a State trustee for the Bloomsburg Normal School, and in that capacity, as well as during hts member­ ship on the board o f education, has rendered in i^ r u n t service to the promotion o f educa­ tional affairs. H e is also president of the board o f directors of the public librar)', o f which he w as one of the earliest advocates, and he has alw ays been one o f its ablest sup­ porters. F o r .some time he has been the repre­ sentative in Columbia county of the S u t c Forestry Commission.

469

A s one of the most trustworthy figures in local business circles he was for a number o f years president of the Board o f Trade, in that position working assiduously to attract new mdustries to the town. He is a director nnd president of the Bloomsbuig Industrial Building & Loan Association, which has been a great benefit lo the town. M r. Townsend has been an ardent l>emocrat and participated in the workings of the parly for many years. In 1893 he w as elected county chairman, serving two terms as such, and his work during the campaign o f Gov­ ernor Pattison was most effective in bringing out a large Democratic vote. Fraternally he is a prominent Mason, a rast master o f W ash­ ington Lodge, No. 265, F. & A. A f.; past high pncst of Bloomsburg Chapter, No. 2 1 8; past eminent commander o f Crusade Commandery, No. 12. K. T .; and past commander in chief o f Caldwell Consistory. H e w as one of the untiring workers who secured the erection o f Caldwell Cathedral, and served as .1 mem­ ber of the building committee. M r. T ow n­ send is a leading member o f St. Pau l's Chord), w hkh he has served as ve 5tr>'man for years. Air. Townsend w as married in England to Elizabeth Dcrrett. Of the four children bom to them. I^ iiis John is deceased; H arry W ill­ iam. Pvmmu ja n e and Joseph I ^ n arc m ar­ ried, and the two sons arc in business with their father. Joseph L . Townsend, the young­ est son. is following in the footsteps o f his father as ,m interested worker in town affairs. Having been elected president of the town council, on the Republican ticket, he served a s such for two years, 1910 and 1911. He is now a member of the school board, to which hody he was elected in 1 9 11 for a term of six years. H IE S T E R A 'A N D E R S L IC E W H IT E, law yer and business man. Bloomsburg, wa.s born near that city, in Orange township, Ju n e 27, 1^58. eldest son o f John AfcAfurlric and T acy E.('anderslice> While. T he father was the eldest son o f William and lan e (AIcAfurtrie) W hite, and grandson o f Peter White. The Whites were among the early English colonists in New England, and the branch of the family here under consideration moved to New Jersey and came thcncc to Pennsylvania, settling in the B riar crcck, Fishing creek and Huntington creek valleys. Here they inter­ m arried with Ihe H idlays, Omans and B rit­ tains. T he M cM urtries. who were o f Scotch extraction, settled in the vicinity o f Belvidere.