Asa Townsend

Townsend was the eldest of eight brothers, all of whom eventually came to Texas. He brought his wife and nine children by water to New Orleans in the fall of 1837 and by oxcart to the Columbus area the next spring. By 1840 he held 555 acres and five enslaved people, and in 1845 he took title to 640 more acres near Borden. He was county coroner in 1846 and a private in the Mexican War. The navigation association he joined met at Matagorda in October 1849 over clearing the river's raft. By 1860 his estate was worth $30,000.

What the plaque says

Asa Townsend (1795-1876) Born in South Carolina, Asa Townsend was reared in Georgia, where he married Rebecca Harper (1805-1857). They moved from Florida to Colorado County in 1838 with their large family. An active civic leader, Townsend served on the committee to adopt measures for the annexation of Texas to the U.S. in 1845, and was a member of the Colorado River Navigation Association. During reconstruction he organized successful ventures into Mexico. He was active in the Methodist church and area Masonic lodges. Rebecca and Asa, who were the parents of 15, are interred in the cemetery at Borden, Texas. (1997)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Stage Lines Through Columbus — steps away
• Tumlinson Family — steps away
• The Colorado County Citizen — steps away
• Colorado County, City of Columbus — steps away