DOWNS FAMILY OF ASHLAND, OHIO

RICHARD G. DOWNS, 88, LEADS BUSY LIFE AND STAYS 'YOUNG'
By William A. Duff

Richard G. Downs, who at his home, 228 Vine Street, is today celebrating the 88th anniversary of his birth, has led such a busy life that he has never had time to get old. He continues to devote himself to landscape gardening and other outdoor work with all the energy and enthusiasm of a man half his years.

He takes great pride in his Belgian hares; he raises New Zealand Red, and as has been his custom all his life he is a great walker. He can climb a high ladder and pick fruit about as well as he ever could and likes to do it. One afternoon during the summer of 1931 he picked six bushels of pears and carried them down the ladder. If there is any roof- work to be done he can do it but his folks feel that at 88 he should leave climbing to younger people.

Seeing him at work out in his back yard as I found him a few days ago you would not think that he was within two years of being a nonagenarian. He is in excellent health, his memory is fine and the only thing that bothers him is that he is deaf. But he presses a piece of cardboard against his front teeth and manages to hear quite well.

In the city of London, England, within the sound of the famous Bow Bells, Mr. Downs was born Nov. 5, 1844. He recalls many incidents of boyhood and early manhood in that historic city. He remembers a great celebration that was held at the end of England's war with Russia. He was but a small boy but he recalls that there were fireworks all night and scenes of great rejoicing.

At the St. Saviour Parish Church, Southwark, County of Surrey, Dec. 20, 1865, he was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Latter. In June, 1868, they, with their two little daughters, Lizzie and Carrie, the latter an infant less than a year old, embarked at London docks on the sailing vessel, "Cornelius Grinell" for what proved to be a voyage of 47 days to New York. Some stormy weather being encountered and sailors called to the pumps when the ship was found to be leaking. They came over the Atlantic & Great Western R.R. to Ashland to which some years before Mrs. Downs' grandparents had come, also some other kinfolk. Later Mr. Downs' parents and other relatives came. Mrs. Downs' grandmother, Mrs. Mary Clark Jones, who had a little store on Main street, selling laces, ribbons, caps, etc., crossed the ocean 20 times, going to England to buy goods for her shop. On the last trip, her husband died and was buried in England. Later she lived near Pleasant Ridge and at her death was buried in the Dickey cemetery.

Mr. Downs recalls that most of the business places on Main Street were wooden buildings but the town was growing increasing from 1748 in 1860 to 2601 in 1870. When he and his family arrived in Ashland they were entertained a few days at the J. O. Jennings' home, a sister of Mrs. Downs working there. Mr. Downs went to work at the lumber mill of Dressler Brothers in South Ashland and he and his family lived on East Walnut street, nearly opposite the Markley fair grounds and the brick house where Judge B. W. McCray now lives.

For quite a number of years Mr. Downs worked for the Atlantic & Great Western R. R., now the Erie, and lived in the north part of town where he had a place of five acres. He also worked at the Leidigh Mill, north of Ashland for awhile, also did brick-making, working at the Fred Jones brickyard on what is now Cleveland avenue and at the Jack Sheppard brick yard, south of College avenue.

Mr. Downs helped to make brick for quite a number of the brick business blocks on Main Street, also the brick for Ashland College and boarding hall. In more recent years he has devoted himself to landscape gardening, a work that he thoroughly enjoys.

For more than 64 years Mr. Downs has been a resident of Ashland and has never returned to the land of his birth, even for a visit. He and his devoted wife raised a family of ten children, eight of whom are living - Mrs. Fred Knapp, Mrs. Charles Shopbell, Ashland; Robert Downs, Toledo; Frank B., Charles H., and Edward of Ashland; Mrs. J. D. Scott, Mansfield; and Mrs. Ada Poister of Akron. Two sons, Walter and Albert, are deceased. Mrs. Downs passed away Nov. 3, 1898. On April 12, 1914 Mr. Downs was united in Marriage with Mrs. Ida Parquette.

He has fourteen grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.

Mr. Downs thinks that of all the inventions he has seen come into general use the radio is the most remarkable. He has never ridden in an airplane and sys he doesn't expect to. If he wants to ride, and auto is plenty fast enough for him.

But he likes to walk. One time when he was working in Wooster he would walk the 22 miles from Wooster each weekend and early on Monday morning would walk back to Wooster and with energy unabated would do a full day's work.