Rush Township near Stockton in Jo Daviess County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Townsend Home

Built 1856

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 29, 2019

1. Townsend Home Marker

Inscription. has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.

Location. 42° 22.33′ N, 90° 3.065′ W. Marker is near Stockton, Illinois, in Jo Daviess County. It is in Rush Township. It is at the intersection of North Canyon Park Road and East Townline Road, on the right when traveling north on North Canyon Park Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 117 N Canyon Park Rd, Stockton IL 61085, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

in the Driftless Area — Bluff Country,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Town That Vanished (approx. 5.2 miles away); Millville Frink & Walker Stage Route (approx. 5.2 miles away); Kellogg's Grove (approx. 8.6 miles away); Warren Veterans Memorial (approx. 9.2 miles away); Warren Civil War Cannon (approx. 9.2 miles away); Attack! On Apple River Fort (approx. 9.2 miles away); Building the Apple River Fort (approx. 9.2 miles away); Voices of the Past (approx. 9.3 miles away).

Regarding Townsend Home. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:

The Townsend House is a fine example of the New England/New York Upright and Wing house type as it evolved westward while accumulating elements of the Greek Revival style of architecture sweeping the nation at the same time. …

George N . Townsend was the quintessential New Yorker. He and his father and one brother came west from Steuben County in western New York state in 1826. They floated a raft down the Alleghany and then Ohio River to Cincinnati, from there walking to Ft. Clark (Peoria) and then to the lead mines. They mined for cash but were farmers and like many
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2024

2. Townsend Home Marker
Marker (partly blocked by porch post) is to the right of the porch door.
in the region chose to farm as soon as possible. By 1836 George and two younger brothers settled on several hundred acres each in the eastern part of Jo Daviess County, just beyond the lead mines but only 25 miles from Galena. …

News of gold discoveries in California hit the region just as lead production was declining and prices were dropping. The number of men who joined the rush from the lead region was extremely high. George Townsend was no exception. He hoped to make enough to improve his farm. After almost two years he returned home with $1700 of gold. That was in 1851, the year he began construction of the house. It took five years to complete.

Also see . . . Townsend House (PDF). National Register nomination for the property, which was listed in 2005. (Prepared by Daryl Watson and Gerald Townsend; via National Archives) (Submitted on August 5, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

George Nelson Townsend (1806-1893) image. Click for full size.

The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, H.F. Kett & Co.; via Google Books (Public Domain), circa 1878

3. George Nelson Townsend (1806-1893)

A prominent early settler, he was on the committee that surveyed Jo Daviess County. The area where his and family members' farms were located was known as Townsend Settlement.

Dedication plaque image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, July 7, 2024

4. Dedication plaque

Placed on a small boulder in the yard, it reads: To the memory of
George N. and Mary Townsend
Arrived in Illinois 1827
Took possession of this land 1834
Humility • Hospitality • Patriotism Erected by their descendants 1929

Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 410 times since then and 157 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 5, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.