author
Martin I. (Martin Ingham) Townsend
1810–1903
A New York lawyer, congressman, and public speaker, he moved easily between the courtroom and the political stage in the 19th century. His long career touched local law, state constitutional debates, higher education, and two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
1 Audiobook
Prehistoric Structures of Central America: Who Erected Them?
by Martin I. (Martin Ingham) Townsend
About the author
Born in Hancock, Massachusetts, in 1810, Martin Ingham Townsend grew up in Williamstown and graduated from Williams College in 1833. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1836, and built his career in Troy, New York, where he became known as a successful lawyer and active public figure.
Townsend served as district attorney of Rensselaer County in the 1840s and later took part in major public affairs in New York State, including the constitutional convention of 1867–68. He was also chosen as a Regent of the University of the State of New York, a role that reflected his standing beyond party politics and courtroom work.
In national politics, he was elected as a Republican to the 44th and 45th Congresses, serving from 1875 to 1879. Remembered as both a lawyer and an orator, he represents a kind of 19th-century public man whose influence stretched across law, education, and government over a very long life.