Walter Irving TOWNE

(b. 23 October 1870 , Belchertown, Massachusetts, USA d. July 1959 , Franklin, Florida, USA )

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Walter Irving TOWNE was born 23 October 1870 in Belchertown, Massachusetts, USA

Walter Irving TOWNE was the child of Amasa TOWNE and Elizabeth B SMITH and the grandchild of: (paternal) Israel TOWNE and Hannah STACY (maternal) Sherman SMITH and Charlotte Maria BURNHAM

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Walter Irving married Cornelia Leonora AINSWORTH 25 May 1892 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA . The couple had (at least) 1 child.
Cornelia Leonora AINSWORTH was born 12 June 1871 in Castleton Township, Barry, Michigan, USA. Cornelia Leonora died 8 September 1939 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Walter Irving married (2) Martha C NEUMAN 22 February 1911 in Miller, Florida, USA . Martha C NEUMAN was born abt. 1870

Walter Irving TOWNE died July 1959 in Franklin, Florida, USA.

married (2) Martha Caroline Neuman
22 February 1911
Milton, Santa Rosa, Florida

Details of the family tree of Walter appear below.

A Glimpse into the Everyday Life of the Average American Man in the Mid-1900s

Family and Children of Walter Irving TOWNE

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Walter Irving TOWNE married

Cornelia Leonora AINSWORTH-- Date: 25 May 1892 Place: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website

groom's name: Walter I. Towne
groom's race:
groom's age: 21 years
groom's birth date: 1871
groom's birthplace: Betchertown, Mass.
bride's name: C. Leonora Ainsworth
bride's race:
bride's age: 20 years
bride's birth date: 1872
bride's birthplace: Barryles, Mich
marriage type:
marriage date: 25 May 1892
marriage place: Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan
groom's father: Amasa Towne
groom's mother: Elizabeth B. Smith
bride's father: Calvin Ainsworth
bride's mother: Harriett Fairchild
groom's marital status:
groom's previous wife:
bride's marital status:
bride's previous husband:
film number: 2342493
frame number:
digital folder number: 4208247
image number: 206
reference number: v 2 p 476 rn 5380

"Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925," index and images, FamilySearch.org : accessed 11 Feb 2013), Walter I. Towne and C. Leonora Ainsworth, 25 May 1892.

Children of Walter Irving TOWNE and Cornelia Leonora AINSWORTH:

Harriet Leonora TOWNE (b.7 July 1894, Rockland, Michigan, USA d. 28 June 1985, Los Angeles, California, USA)

Walter Irving TOWNE married

Martha C NEUMAN-- Date: 22 February 1911 Place: Miller, Florida, USA

Children of Walter Irving TOWNE and Martha C NEUMAN:

Share the History, Life Events, and Stories of Walter Irving TOWNE
(Add details like birth, baptism, census records, military service, obituary, personal achievements, and more.)

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Discovering the Ancestry of Walter Irving TOWNE: Events, Photos & Historical Records

1870 Birth
23 Oct 1870
male Town
b. Belchertown
son of Amasa and Elizabeth Town of Belchertown
occupation of father - farmer
father b. Belchertown
mother b. Aurora, N.Y.
Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841–1925
Researching Your Colonial New England Ancestors

1876 - March 7 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a United States patent for an invention he calls the telephone.

1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes becomes President of the United States

1877 - November 21 - Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record sound.

1879 - Incandescent light bulb is invented (Thomas Alva Edison, United States)

1880 Aurora, Cayuga, New York
E. B. TOWNE Self W Female W 49 NY Keeping House CT VT
William S. TOWNE Son S Male W 11 NY At School MA NY
Walter I. TOWNE Son S Male W 9 NY MA NY
Charlotte M. SMITH Mother W Female W 77 VT CT CT
1880 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1881 - The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton.

1881 - March 4 - James A. Garfield becomes President of the United States

1881 - July 2 - James A. Garfield was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 2, 1881. He died in Elberon, New Jersey, two months later on September 19, 1881. The shooting occurred less than four months into his term as president. Charles J. Guiteau was convicted of Garfield's murder and executed by hanging one year after the shooting. Chester Arthur becomes President of the United States.

1884 - Photographic film is invented (George Eastman, United States)

The first gravity roller coaster amusement ride (LeMarcus A. Thompson, United States)

1884
Name: Walter Irving Towne
Publication Year: 1884
Publication State: Massachusetts
School Name: Dummer Academy
Residence: Topsfield
Title: Catalogue of the officers and students of Dummer Academy, Byfield, Mass.; instituted A.D. 1763

Ancestry.com. U.S., High School Student Lists, 1821-1923 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2012.
Original data: School Student Lists. Worcester, Massachusetts: American Antiquarian Society.
ancestry.com

1885 - Grover Cleveland becomes President of the United States

1886 - October 28 - Statue of Liberty is Unveiled

1889 - The automobile is invented (Gottlieb Daimler, Germany)

1889 - Benjamin Harrison becomes President of the United States

1890
Name: Walter Towne I
Residence Year: 1890
Street Address: 210 Barclay 5 P
Residence Place: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Occupation: Clerk
Publication Title: Grand Rapids, Michigan, City Directory, 1890

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
ancestry.com

1891 - The zipper is invented (Whitcomb L. Judson, United States)

The motion picture camera is invented (Thomas Alva Edison, William K.L. Dickson, United States)

First Perforated Toilet Paper Roll is Patented

1892 Marriage / Partner
Walter Irving TOWNE and Cornelia Leonora AINSWORTH 25 May 1892, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

He was 21 years old.

1893 - Grover Cleveland becomes President of the United States

1894 Algoma, Kent, Michigan
Name: Walter I Towne
Gender: Male
Event Place (Original): Algoma, Kent, Michigan, United States
Age: 23
Birth Year (Estimated): 1871
Event Year: 1894
Relationship to Head of Household: Husband
Family Number: 511
Line Number: 11
Page Number: 103
GS Film number: 984228
Digital Folder Number: 004705882
Image Number: 00313
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Husband Walter I Towne M 23
Wife Cornelia L Towne F 22
Hired Girl Hellen Rotemom F 20

'Michigan, State Census, 1894,' index, FamilySearch (familysearch.org/ pal:/ MM9.1.1/ XHK6-K5Q : accessed 27 Jun 2013), Walter I Towne, 1894.
familysearch.org (Mormon Genealogy Records)
Unofficial Guide to FamilySearch.org: How to Find Your Family History on the World's Largest Free Genealogy Website

1894 Birth of Child
Harriet Leonora TOWNE was born 7 July 1894, Rockland, Michigan, USA

Walter Irving was 23 years old.

1897 - Aspirin is invented (Felix Hoffmann (Bayer), Germany)

1897 - William McKinley becomes President of the United States

1898 - April 25 – Spanish-American War: The United States declares war on Spain

1898 - December 10 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Spanish-American War.

1900 Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan
name: Walter J Towne
titles & terms:
event: Census
event date: 1900
event place: ED 54 Precinct 2 Grand Rapids city Ward 3, Kent, Michigan, United States
birth date: Oct 1870
birthplace: Massachusetts
relationship to head of household: Head
father's birthplace: Massachusetts
mother's birthplace: Massachusetts
race or color (standardized): White
gender: Male
marital status: Married
years married: 8
estimated marriage year: 1892
mother how many children:
number living children:
immigration year:
page: 2
sheet letter: A
family number: 20
reference number: 4
film number: 1240721
digital folder number: 004120233
image number: 00898
Household Gender Age Birthplace
head Walter J Towne M 30 Massachusetts
wife Lenora Towne F 29 Michigan
daughter Harriet Towne F 16 Michigan
servant Katie Verplank F 21 Holland
father-in-law Calvin Ainsworth M 61 Indiana
1900 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1901 - King Camp Gillette and William Emery Nickerson invented the world's first disposable razor blade in 1901. (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)

1901 - William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when an anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, shot him twice in the abdomen. Theodore Roosevelt becomes President of the United States.

1902 - July 17 - Willis Haviland Carrier designed the first modern air-conditioning system. (Buffalo, New York, USA)

1903 - The first engine-powered airplane is invented (Wilbur & Orville Wright, United States)

1904 - June 28 - U.S. begins construction of Panama Canal.

1906 - August 22 – The first Victor Victrola, a phonographic record player, was manufactured, revolutionizing the way people listened to music at home.

In 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first AM radio broadcast on December 24th. This event marked a significant advancement in radio technology, paving the way for the modern broadcasting industry.

1907-1908 - The electric washing machine is invented (Alva J. Fisher, United States)

1908 - First Model-T car is produced by Henry Ford (United States)

1908
Monday, Feb. 24, 1908 The Auburn Citizen, Auburn, NY
W. I. Towne of Grand Rapids, Mich., is visiting his cousin, S. S. Salisbury of 17 Mary Street.

1909 - William Howard Taft becomes President of the United States

1911 Marriage / Partner
Walter Irving TOWNE and Martha C NEUMAN 22 February 1911, Miller, Florida, USA

He was 40 years old.

1912 - April 15 - Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic

1913 - The assembly line is invented (Henry Ford, United States)

The bra is invented (Mary Phelps Jacob, United States)

1913 - Woodrow Wilson becomes President of the United States

1913 - October 31 – The Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across the United States, is dedicated

1915 - January 25 - First United States coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call

1917 - March 2 – The enactment of the Jones Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

1917 - April 6 – WWI: The United States declares war on Germany

1918 - March 19 – The United States Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time

1919 - June 4 – Women's rights: The United States Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification

1920 Walker, Kent, Michigan
Name: Walter I Towne
Event Type:
Event Year: 1920
Event Place: , Kent, Michigan
Gender: Male
Age: 49
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Birth Year (Estimated): 1871
Relationship to Head of Household: Self
Father's Birthplace:
Mother's Birthplace:
Household ID: 101
Sheet Number: 5
GS Film number: 1820779
Digital Folder Number: 4311617
Image Number: 01038
Household Gender Age Birthplace
SELF Walter I Towne M 49y Massachusetts
WIFE Martha Towne F 37y Florida
1920 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1920 - January 17 - Prohibition goes into effect on January 17, 1920, under the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution

1921 - Warren G. Harding becomes President of the United States

1921 - Charles Strite of Minnesota patents the pop-up toaster.

1923 to 1927 - Television is invented (Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (Russia), Philo Taylor Farnsworth (United States))

1923 - Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

1930 Walker, Kent, Michigan
Name: Walter I Towne
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Walker, Kent, Michigan
Gender: Male
Age: 59
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Birth Year (Estimated): 1871
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: Massachusetts
Mother's Birthplace: New York
District: 0142
Household ID: 200
Sheet Number and Letter: 8A
Line Number: 23
Affiliate Publication Number: T626, roll 1005
GS Film number: 2340740
Digital Folder Number: 4608262
Image Number: 00158
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Walter I Towne M 59 Massachusetts
Wife Martha C Towne F 47 Florida
1930 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1939 Death of Spouse/Partner
Cornelia Leonora AINSWORTH died 8 September 1939, Los Angeles, California, USA

1940 Walker, Kent, Michigan
Name: Walter J Towne
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Date: 1940
Event Place: Walker Township, Kent, Michigan, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 69
Marital Status: Married
Race (Original): White
Race: White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Birthplace: Massachusetts
Birth Year (Estimated): 1871
Last Place of Residence: Same House
District: 41-47A
Family Number: 77
Sheet Number and Letter: 4A
Line Number: 29
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 1776
Digital Folder Number: 005461638
Image Number: 00125
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Walter J Towne M 69 Massachusetts
Wife Martha C Towne F 57 Florida
1940 Census Ancestry (U.S.)
Exploring the U.S. Census: Your Guide to America’s Data

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1959 Death
July 1959
Franklin, Florida, USA

He died at the age of 88.

Added: - Updated: 7/8/2025 4:04:39 PM