DOUGLASS, Joshua
attorney and counselor at law, Meadville, was born in Rochester, N. Y. , August 1, 1826. His parents came to Meadville in 1832 and settled on a farm in Mead Township. Our subject acquired his education mostly at the academy in Meadville, and studied law with Hon. A. B. Richmond. He was married in 1848 to Calsina L. Finch, who died in 1849. He was again married in 1853 to Lavantia, daughter of Joel and Sophia Densmore, of Erie City. Their silver wedding was celebrated October 4, 1878. Their children are Marion, born February 7, 1855, married December 22, 1875, to Charles W. Lane, of Meadville (have two children: Ralph, born May 9, 1877, and Elsie, born December 14, 1878); Ellen, born July 19, 1858, married June 23, 1880, to Cornelius Van Home, attorney, of Meadville, Penn. (had one child, Robert, born March 23, 1884); Robert, born November 17, 1861, died in 1862; Mabel, born February 22, 1864, married in July, 1882, to Harry C. Flood, of Meadville, Penn., and Gertrude, born November 8, 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Douglass are members of the Unitarian Congregation of Meadville. In 1850 Mr. Douglass went to California; returned in 1852 and commenced to read law, in which he has been
successfully practicing since 1854; was admitted to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in 1858, to the United States Courts in 1862, and to the Supreme Court of the United States in 1869. He has been a Republican since the organization of that party. Mr. Douglass is of Scotch origin, and has in his possession a carefully written history of his family, prepared by a member of the same, which embraces many eminent names. Hon. Stephen A. Douglass is a member of the family, and is of the seventh generation.
History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania: containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc., portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1885, page 733.
