Under various names, the F. & T. Townsend Foundry, located in Albany, NY on Elk at the corner of Hawk, made sawmills and a patent planer. Their ownership history is as follows:

• Sterling Iron Works. This firm was founded by Peter Townsend (1735-1787), unknown date. The subsequent firms all claimed to have been established 1807, but at least one source says that the I & J. Townsend foundry grew out of Sterling Iron Works.
• I. & J. Townsend Foundry. In 1807, Isaiah and John Townsend established a foundry under their names. Isaiah and John had worked at the Sterling Iron Works and so it seems likely that they assumed control of that operation and renamed it. Isaiah and John were the sons of a nephew of Peter Townsend.
• J. Townsend Foundry. In 1838 John took sole possession of the business.
• F. Townsend Foundry. In 1844 it was taken over by Franklin Townsend, son of Isaiah. Franklin became a general during the Civil War, and was also adjutant general of the state of New York.
• F. and T. Townsend Foundry. In 1847 Franklin was joined by Theodore Townsend. Under this name the firm was known to have made sawmills and the Beardslee patent planer.
• F. Townsend Foundry. In 1857 Franklin resumed sole ownership.
• Townsend & Jackson. In 1867 Franklin took a business partner.
• Townsend, Jackson Co. The name was changed in 1875.
• Townsend & Jackson. The name changed back in 1878. Rufus K. Townsend took control of the business in 1883, although there was no name change.
• Townsend Foundry Co. The name changed in 1896.
• Townsend Furnace & Machine Co. The name changed again in 1926 after the firm of Rehfuss & Begley (owned by John R. Rehfuss and James G. Begley) bought out Rufus Townsend and merged the operations of the two businesses under the Townsend name.

The Beardslee Patent Fixed-Knife Planing Machine

In 1851, George W. Beardslee, of Buffalo, N. Y., designed and patented a fixed-knife planer. He promptly found himself as one of four defendants in a lawsuit brought by the holders of the Woodworth patents, the other defendants being Hervey Law, Enos G. Allen, and Nelson Barlow. Even though Beardslee's fixed-knife planer is completely different from the Woodworth cylindrical-head design, the Woodworth patent-holders did not give up their fight against Beardslee until November of 1853, when they finally abandoned their suit. An 1852 article claims that so many machine were being sold that 150 men were employed in making them at Townsend's Machine and Foundry Works in Albany.

Beardslee's machine used a graduated set of stationary cutters. This produced a smoother surface than rotary planers, and allowed thinner output as well; the tradeoff is that they could only handle softer woods and performed best on clear stock. These machines were popular with piano makers for making tuning boards.

Information Sources

• In an email communiciation, the spouse of a Townsend descendant clarified the relationships between the various Townsends: "Isaiah and John Townsend's Father was Henry Townsend (1751-1815) and his father was Henry Townsend (1725-1803). Henry Townsend (1725-1803) was the Brother of Peter Townsend (1735-1787). Peter Townsend was the owner of the Sterling Iron Works. Both Henry's worked with Peter at the Sterling Iron Works."
• 1851 article in Scientific American on Beardslee's planer. The machine shop of F. and T. Townsend made machines for George Beardslee.
• The Beardslee story comes from 1851-1852 articles and 1851-1853 ads in Scientific American.
• Ad in 1854 Buffalo City Directory for "Dart & Brothers, proprietors of George W. Beardslee's Patent Planing and Matching Machines and Dealers in rough and dress pine and ash lumber..."
• 1867 New York State Business Directory, p. 476, lists the F. & T. Townsend Foundry as a Steam Engine Builder.
• The 1872 edition of Boyd's New York State Directory has the following listing under Albany: "Townsend & Jackson, foundry, Broadway C. Rensselaer."
• From On Life's Stage, the autobiography of Adam Ainslie, written in 1889 and published in 1987 by the City of Cambridge (Ontario) Archives.

  There being no steam engines made in Canada I crossed over to Rochester and went down the Erie Canal to Albany and visited Messr. Townsend who had a large foundry there and enquired their terms for making machinery for a steam saw mill to cut ten thousand feet of lumber per day. I then proceeded to New York and made a like enquiry at a large foundry there. Finding the terms of the Albany firm the most favorable I returned there and in the office of Messr. Townsend drew a contract by which they bound themselves to furnish me with the requisite machinery by a certain date for the sum of $2,000. Before signing the agreement they suggested that as I was a stranger and might not take the machinery when made, I must make a deposit of $400. I thought this but reasonable and gave them a cheque for the amount upon Mr. Ewart the agent of the Commercial Bank at Dundas [Ontario]. After getting Mr. Battle the foreman of the works to draw a plan of the proposed mill for which I paid him $24 I returned to Galt and engaged Michael Knox, Norman Ramsay and John Graham to chop 4 acres on the Beverly lot viz. the pines into logs for the mill and the hard wood for the engine. They put a shanty on the lot, performed the work for which I paid and also for digging the foundation of the mill.

  Having proceed so far a new light dawned upone me!!! Which was that altho' the mill might cut the number of feet per day, the purchasers would pay me in promissory notes due one year after date and then probably not be paid, while engineers and laborers would expect their wages monthly. I concluded to drop the whole concern like a hot potato!!!! I informed Messr. Townsend of this my resolution, they replied stating that when they had disposed of the machinery they had made they would account to me for the balance but I never received a cent of the $400 deposited with them." The events described took place in about 1835.

  Mr. Ainslie has a street named after him in downtown Cambridge.
• 1905 catalog, "Catalogue of Gear Patterns and Power Transmitting Machinery", Townsend Furnace & Machine Shop Co.
• The History of New York State, Dr. James Sullivan, ed., 1927, and available online: "The Townsend Furnace & Machine Company had its inception in 1807, when Isaiah and John Townsend established a foundry business under their own name. They continued at the head of this enterprise until 1838, when John Townsend assumed control of the business. In 1844 he was succeeded by Franklin Townsend, who, in 1849, was joined by Theodore Townsend. Franklin Townsend again became the sole owner in 1857 and continued as such until 1867, in which year the name of the firm was changed to Townsend & Jackson. Eight years later, in 1875, the style of the firm was changed once more to Townsend, Jackson company, but in 1878 the former name of Townsend & Jackson was resumed. In 1883 Rufus K. Townsend came into control of the business, continuing until 1896, when the concern took the name of the Townsend Foundry Company. For the next thirty years the business was conducted under this style, until, April 1, 1926, it was reorganized as the Townsend Furnace & Machine Company. At that time the following became the executive officers of the company: Carl H. Graf, president; James G. Begley, vice-president; L. K. Devendorf, secretary; William G. Van Loon, treasurer; and John H. Rehfuss, general manager. The company is engaged in the manufacture of furnaces and machinery and in work of a similar nature. Its plant occupies an entire city block and it employs upward of fifty people, operating in a radius of one hundred and fifty miles from Albany."
• A website about Albany Rural Cemetery has a brief bio:

  Isaiah Townsend (1777-1838); lot 4, sec 45

  Townsend Furnace, his father, Peter Townsend founded Townsend Furnace as Sterling Iron Works. Sterling cast and fabricated the chain that was stretched across the Hudson River at West Point to prevent the British from proceeding up the river (4/30/1778). Links were 2 1/2” thick, 30” long. The chain was 1700 feet long. Townsend Furnace was located at the corner of Hawk and Elk in Albany. Townsend also cast plow blades, sleigh shoes and various tools. Brother of John Townsend, father of Franklin."

• An excerpt from another bio at the above site:

  Gen. Franklin Townsend (1821-1898); lot 3, sec 45

  Mayor of Albany (1850), Adjutant General of the State of New York, Assemblyman, President of NY State National Bank, Vice-President of Albany Savings Bank, Townsend Furnace, son of Isaiah.

• Another excerpt:

  John Townsend (1783-1854); lot 2, sec 45

  Mayor of Albany (1829), organized the Albany Insurance Company, President of National Commercial Bank, President of the old Albany Exchange and Albany Exchange Bank, President of the Water Commission, I & J Townsend (at Hawk and Elk), the Albany Pier Company and Townsend Furnace. Second President of Albany Savings Bank after Stephen Van Rensselaer. He was one of the first directors of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad when it made the first passenger trip in the US. He laid the cornerstone for Albany’s old City Hall in 1829 (destroyed by fire 1880).