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Charles Collins Townsend, an Episcopal missionary, came to Iowa
City (Johnson Co., IA) and established The Orphan's Home of
Industry in 1854. His plan was to bring the orphaned and
homeless children of New York to Iowa where they could be placed
with farmers and others in the community. Until the orphans
found new homes, they were schooled at The Home and also cared
for crops and livestock there. The New York Times estimated that
Townsend took in 500 orphans in all.
It is not known when the first children were brought to Iowa
City. Records show that between June 1, 1854 and June 1, 1858,
50 boys, 43 girls and 26 adults came to Iowa by train.
Townsend's first group from the East was composed of 9 boys, 13
girls and 4 adults. During the first four years of The Home's
operation, Townsend noted that over 20 young people learned to
read and/or write and three were ready to teach school. One boy
died and was buried on the grounds of The Home. Three children
and one adult were returned to New York City.
Townsend wrote biographical sketches of some of the first
orphans he found in New York:
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"John was found in a bake house; slept on some straw
in a cart ... will make an industrious farmer" |
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"George, in pitiful conditions on the streets, now
cultivates his own garden in Iowa and has a good home
with a farmer" |
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"five older boys in good homes with farmers" |
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"Frances, found in the Sun building in New York
City, now in a good home with the Stephan Maynards" |
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"Ellen, from Randall's Island, now an assistant
housekeeper at The Home, and a teacher of the smaller
children, hoping to go to the new Normal school in Iowa
City" |
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"Mary, 16, from Fort Smith, going to school in Iowa
City" |
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"lame Susan whose parents died of cholera" |
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However, the townspeople were not happy
to have vagrants and criminals in their midst and in 1868 the
home had closed and the property sold at a sheriff's auction.
Townsend went back to New York where he died a short time later.
The above information comes from the Nov/Dec 1979 Palimpsest. We
also found the following information on the 1860 federal census,
pg 897A for Johnson Co., IA:
| NAME |
Age |
Occupation |
Birthplace |
Notes |
| Chal. C. Townsend |
50 |
Orphan's Home |
.Conn |
|
| Martha Townsend |
45 |
|
Ohio |
|
| Sarah E? Houg? |
35 |
Governess |
New York |
|
| Miss Maynard 2 |
28 |
Matron |
Ohio |
|
| Jane McM? |
28 |
S???ing |
New York |
|
| Helen Slaving |
28 |
Cook |
Ireland |
|
| Ellen McNememu? |
24 |
Nurse |
Ireland |
|
| Mary Odonals? |
17 |
|
Arkansas |
|
| Susan Hempstead |
19 |
|
New York |
|
| Ellen Kuhl |
16 |
|
New York |
|
| Clara T. Cook |
14 |
|
New York |
In School |
| Louisa Cahill |
13 |
|
New York |
In School |
| Ellen Crumley? |
12 or 13 |
|
New York |
In School |
| Henrietta Doye |
11 |
|
New York |
In School |
| Laura Bradshaw |
14 |
|
New York |
In School |
| Margaret Smith |
15 |
|
New York |
In School |
| Virginia Brown |
9 |
|
New York |
In School |
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If you have any additional information on The Orphan's Home of
Industry or the orphans that Charles Townsend cared for or
placed, please share that information with us.
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