Son of Eber Townsend and Elizabeth Drew Townsend and born in Dutchess County, New York. Samuel Townsend served in the War of 1812 (Van Rensselear's 3rd Regiment of the New York Militia). He migrated west from Steuben County, New York at the age of 43 in the fall of 1826 with his sons George (age 20) and Absalom (age 15). Upon leaving Urbana in Steuben County they traveled approximately 80 miles on foot to Olean, NY which is on the Allegheny River. Here they either built or bought a flat bottom boat that they used to navigate the Allegheny and Ohio rivers downstream on their journey. At Lawrenceburg, Indiana they departed the river, sold their boat, and then traveled on foot northwest over the wild prairies and through woodlands to Fort Clark (now Peoria, IL) arriving on January 1, 1827 where they stayed six weeks. Potentially, they were scouting the land warrant of 320 acres in Western Illinois that Samuel was awarded for his service during the War of 1812. The final part of their journey occurred on a six day trip north in mid February 1827 when they scouted the area of Gratiot's Grove, Wisconsin which was just south of present day, Shullsburg, Wisconsin. In this general area they remained and went to work, both mining and/or farming, as very early pioneers.

Several other sons and daughters migrated to NW Illinois and SW Wisconsin later in the 1830s. Samuel's wife Sarah "Sally" died in New York in 1821 but a memorial stone for her and Samuel is in Elmwood Cemetery (near Warren, IL) next to other family members. He married Sarah "Peggy" Pence (date unknown). Later in life he was married to Mary Kellogg and they lived in Jo Daviess County, IL. Samuel also served as a volunteer in the Blackhawk War in 1832. At the age of 67, he traveled with several of his sons to the gold fields of California in 1850-1851 via the Oregon Trail.

Bio written by Anthony Townsend (4th Great Grandson of Samuel Townsend)