CENTRE LINES

The BIDDLE Family

This column is part of a feature series which focuses on a different Centre County family each week. Five new columns will be released each month unless some technical difficulty enters the picture.

This column's focus is on BIDDLE. An effort has been made to identify all persons carrying that name in the 1890 U.S. Census, using the Centre County business directory which was formed from a preliminary review of that census before the larger set of 1890 U.S. Census records was destroyed by fire. (Sadly, the postal directory does not typically provide the ages of females, but it's the best record we've got).

No books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deal with the Biddle family.

There are 10 different first-name entries for Biddle in John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton County (1883). In addition, there are many references to the name in Beers' Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania (1898).

And, now, your ancestors' BIDDLE neighbors in 1890:

In COLLEGE Township:

Mary E.--State College

In FERGUSON Township:

John W., 45, laborer--Benore Sarah P. Charles W. 21 Sarah J. Fold O. 15 Cinor N. Alice B. Celie E. Esther M. Louis E.

In HALFMOON Township:

Ann W.--Stormstown Lydia A. J.--Stormstown George B. 42 William R. 36 Emma J.

In PATTON Township:

Jane--Buffalo Run Fletcher 39 Rebecca John, 66, farmer--Buffalo Run John, 66, farmer--Buffalo Run Maggie John W., 40, carpenter--Benore Eva L. Elsie A. Lowery, 38, laborer--Benore Alice L. Charles C. 6 Gabriel O. 1 Susan--Benore David 23

In PHILIPSBURG Borough:

William M., 37, merchant--Spruce St. Ansie Pearl Paul 8 Olen 6 Jessie