David Towne, the grandfather of Marcus F. Towne, married Lucy Upham. Their children were two sons and two daughters, of whom George, born in Thompson, February 18th, 1794, married Sally, daughter of Rufus Tyler. The children of this marriage were: Lucy, who died in youth; Rufus T., Marcus F., Noadiah W. and Lucy U., wife of Joseph S. Perry.
Marcus F. Towne was born June 21st, 1824, on the farm in Thompson, where his whole life, with the exception of a single year, has been spent. He attended the common school, and for a short period the high school, after which his attention was given to farming. He also became proficient as a blacksmith, and combined this with his other duties. Mr. Towne entered into a co-partnership with his father, and while farming operated a thresher. He also did more or less teaming. Receiving before his father’s death a deed of a portion of the farm, he subsequently added to this a valuable tract by purchase. He also owns fifty acres in Woodstock, which is used as a pasture land for the fattening of beef for the market.
Mr. Towne is a director of the Thompson Savings Bank. He has been for many years director and for two years president of the Woodstock Agricultural Society. He is in politics a republican, was for the years 1873 and 1854 a member of the Connecticut house of representatives, has been for seven years a selectman, and for a long period on the school district committee. He has been for thirty-two years an active, exemplary and useful member of the Congregational church of Thompson, and a portion of that time one of its deacons. He was November 29th, 1848, married to Lucy Ann, daughter of Jason Wakefield, of the same town. Their only child, a son, died in his fourteenth year. He was again married July 6th, 1856, to Mary J., daughter of Paul Kinney, of Union, Connecticut. Their children are Lucy A., George V. and Adfer M.