Josiah e DOWNS

                   CARROLL COUNTY BIOGRAPHY
page 840
Josiah E. Downs, the leading representative of the family of that name
which has so long been prominent in the history and development of Rose
Twp, Carroll Co, Ohio was born in Rose Twp, Mar. 8, 1830.
His father, Josiah Downs, was a native of Virginia. John Downs, father
of Josiah, and grandfahter of Josiah E. was born in Maryland, married
Sarah Underhill, of the same state, and later settled in Virginia; to
this union were born George, William, Josiah, Thephilus, Mary, Charity
and Elizabeth. The family came to Ohio and were among the earliest
settlers of Stark Co, where the father entered a farm, on which he and
wife passed the remaining days of their life. He was a member of the
Episcopalian Church, and in politics was a Democrat.
Josiah Downs, father of our subject, came to Ohio with his parents, and
some time afterward entered 80 acres where Josiah E. now resides and on
which he erected a log cabin in 1824. He married Eliabeth Elson,
daughter of Henry Elson, and this union was blessed with 2 children:
Sarah A (deceased) and Josiah E. (our subject). The father died in 1929,
and the widow continued to conduct he farm until her second marriage, in
1842, with Levi Williams.
Josiah E. Downs received the usual amount of schooling inculcated in
his early days, and at the age of 18 assumed the management of the home
farm, which he has since greatly improved and brought to its present
condition of fertility. Nov. 5, 1850, he married Hannah, daughter of
James Miller, who was born in Brooke Co., W. Va., Jan 11, 1801 and who
married Rachel Knots, and soon after came to Ohio. To the marriage of
Mr. Miller were born 6 children: William, Druscilla and Hannah (twins),
Isaac, James, and Jonathan. In politics Mr. Miller was a Whig,
originally, but later became a Republican. Mr and Mrs. Downs,
immediately on marrying, settled down to housekeeping on the home farm,
on which they still reside. The children born to them are: Sarah--Mrs
Daniel Davis, James, Amanda--Mrs. William Sweany, Jonathan, Rachel
J.--Mrs. John Moreland, Druscilla--Mrs Charles Leydia, RUTH--MRS PHILIP
WARD, Edson C. and Dallas D. Like his father Mr. Downs has always taken
an active part in politics, acting with the Democratic Party. While
connected to no church, he is yet a liberal supporter of ass measures
tending to the advancement of the cause of religion in his county and
township, and his deeds of charity are unstinted, although not made
public