According to an article he wrote himself while running for congressman, says he was born 20 Jun 1830 in Redstone Twp., Fayette Co., PA and married Martha M. DAYTON in March 1860.
Caleb lived in Granville, Licking Co OH and was a Presbyterian minister. He did preside at a church in Lithopolis of Fairfield Co, OH, at one time.
In 1870 he is listed in Burlington Twp, Licking Co, OH as:
DOWNS, Caleb B. (40, PA) minister, $1250 Real estate, $1750 personal estate
", Martha M., 35y keeping house b OH
", Mary L., 7y at home b OH
", Cassius C., 5y at home b OH
", Martha A., 3y at home b OH
", Jennie D., 8/12 b in Nov, OH
LAMSON, Josephine, 18?y domestic servant b OH
By 1880 he lived in Lithopolis, Fairfield Co, OH as:
DOWNS, Rev. C. B. (49, PA) preacher of gospel, parents b PA
", Martha A., 43y wife keeping house b OH, fa b ME, ma b PA
", Mary L., 17y dau at school b OH
", Clinton, 14y son at school b OH
", Martha M., 12y dau at school b OH
", Joseph R., 8y son at school b OH
 
1886 - "From the Newark American, (Rep.) Aug. 26 -
Hon. C. B. Downs, Our Candidate for Congress.  We take the following sketch bearing upon the life's history of our Republican candidate for Congress from the class history of Jefferson College for 1857.  It was written, as will be observed, by the Hon. C. B. Downs himself.  It abounds with pure wit and humor and good sound sense, and is a more complete history of the gentleman selected to contest the election to Congress with the Hon. Beriah Wilkins than we would be able to give ourselves.  If the people of the District were as well acquainted with Mr. Downs as the writer of this biographical sketch there would be no doubt of his election.
Caleb Bracken Downs.   Repeated attempts and failures have been made to "let out the job," of writing up this case.  It was hoped that some of my classmates would put me in the "historic third person," and say some pretty things about me.  But alas!  Hays undertook the case, and got so far as to say--"His oration on Commencement Day was irresistible."   He then called me "Our delightful friend of college days;" but, unfortunately, just then his language failed him, and he gave it up.
There is good and sufficient evidence that, in the early part of my life, I was born a true and proper human child.  That prophetic event occurred on the 20th day of June A.D. 1830, on a farm in Redstone township, Fayette county, Pa., in the presence of competent witnesses.  My mother's maiden name was Mary Miller, of German extraction, I think, from whom I inherited my genial
disposition and excellent good nature.  My father was Jonathan Downs, of English descent, to whom I am especially indebted for the large percent of dignity and genuine nobility which inhere in my make-up.  From the foregoing, the personal humanity is clearly established.  In all my ancestral line there is not the slightest perceptible trace of any personal likeness or relationship with either the quadrupedal or bipedal ape, the Ourang outang, or the Whangdoodle.  This is a matter of much interest to me and in which I justly feel an honest pride.  I very much prefer to be registered in the
"Genus Homo," than in the "General Herd-book" of Mr. Darwin.
From sunny childhood to sweet 16 I stayed at home, except when I was some place else, eating and drinking such things as were set before me and such other things as could be secured by foraging.  Sometimes I was "in the wilderness, eating locusts and wild honey" and my raiment, in summer, was 10 cent muslin shirts, 12 1-2 cent crash linen breeches and one 15 cent "chip hat".  Winter apparel -- home made linsey woolsey, a 25 cent hair cap, and a pair of stogie shoes, made by an itinerant shoemaker, for my feet, which -- this is my feet--lasted all the year.
My passion for manual labor was never over mastering, except when under gentle stimulation; still I did about everything that was ever done by the incipient Presidents, except driving mules on the canal and cutting down a cherry tree with a hatchet and afterwords refusing to lie about it.  I was never seriously troubled about the "struggle for existence".  My existence continued, presumably because my time had not come and also, because I was "proof against peril".  While in my childhood's home I usually spent two or three months in the winter in the "old log school house" just such as most of the great men of modern times attended.  My first school book, and the only
one I ever thoroughly mastered, was the United States spelling book.  That book was chart and compass and creed and confession and catechism to me.  I literally devoured that book -- that is I chawed off a considerable part of the corners of it.  That spelling book made me wise, or wiser.  Verily its "spell is on me yet".  Then I began on Cobb's School Readers and managed to get about all the corn off those cobbs.  Studied geography considerably, but know very little about the earth's surface, except about 130 acres, more or less.  Studied English grammar, and arithmetic; but learned very little about the science of language and numbers.  Still, I could talk fluently and
"figger" some, but, could not [can't read -- looks like some Algebra equation].  During this plastic period, I embraced the first fundamental article of Presbyterian faith-- total depravity.  My knowledge of this doctrine was eminently practical and abundantly verified by personal experience.  From 16 to 20, I commenced and completed the carpenter trade. In 1860, entered Dunlap's Creek Presbyterian Academy at Merrittstown where I remained about four years, as student, tutor, assistant teacher, and finally, Principal.  During this time I embraced the second fundamental doctrine of Presbyterian theology--faith in Jesus Christ-- and was received into the
Dunlap's Creek Presbyterian Church, then under the pastoral care of Rev. Samuel Wilson, D.D.  Entered the Sophomore Class, in its third term, in Jefferson College, and graduated with the Class.
I am deeply indebted to the Class for much valuable knowledge, both positive and negative.  That Class knew a great deal of what was generally unknown. Entered the theological Seminary, at Allegheny City, 1857.  At the end of the first year, took charge of the Martinsburg, Academy, at Martinsburg, O., and studied theology at the same time, under the direction of Rev. Henry Hervey,
pastor of the Presbyterian church at that place.  Was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Richland, June 30, 1860, and licensed, March 28, of the same year, to become the husband of one wife, Martha M. Dayton, of Martinsburg, with whom I have lived ever since.  To us have been born 8 boys and 3 girls, 4--all smart--of whom are yet with us; and 2 have "fallen asleep".
Was pastor of the churches of Utica and Homer, Ohio, from 1860 to 1871; and pastor of the church of Lithopolis, Presbytery of Columbus, from 1874-1881. Was delegate to the Reunion Assembly in New York in 1869, and a delegate to the Assembly in Pittsburg in 1878.  Came to Granville in 1882.  Am now supplying the churches of Frazeyburg and Millwood; and am successor to Harry
A. Church, partner with W. H. Kussmaul, an ornamental editor of the Granville, Ohio, "TIMES", a bright, clean, newsy, eight-page, 3-column quarto, weekly, which I will be much pleased to furnish to all living members of my Class, at $1.50 per year, strictly in advance.  Orders for book and job
work earnestly solicited. [The Ohio Democrat, New Philadelphia, Ohio, Sept. 9, 1886]
 
1886 - Sixteenth District: Beriah Wilkins, Democrat, 20,258 to Caleb B. Downs, Rep., 16,284. [History of the Republican Party in Ohio, V1, Chicago, Lewis Publishing Co., 1898, p 527.]