CENTRE LINES


The BROWN Family


This column is part of a feature series which focuses on a different Centre County family each week.

This column's focus is on BROWN. 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).

Three books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte deal at some length with this family. They are Maribel Hildebrand's Climbing the Brown and Reed Family Tree and Related Branches (Tyrone, Pa., 1986); Dwight Miller's Historical Notes; the Pennsylvania and Ohio Barr-Brisbin-Brown-Clifford-Horner-McTeer-Miller- Moorhead-Osborn-Thompson Families, Extending over Thirteen Generations, 1600-1973 (Camp Hill,Pa., 1973); and, Robert Shannon's Matthew Brown: Ancestry and Descendants (Brooklyn, N.Y., 1900).

There are 92 different first-name entries for Brown in John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton County (1883). In addition, there are many references to the Brown name in Beers' Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania (1898) with the following person (with an identifiable Centre County connection) having a separate profile: CLARK Brown (b. 1822, s/o Andrew and Sarah Clark).

The earliest Brown to appear in a U.S. census record for Centre County was a Thomas Brown, in 1800. According to the 1860 U.S. census conducted in Centre County, Brown was then the 9th most common name in the county. According to the 1998-99 Centre County Telephone Directory, Brown was the 4th most common name in the county. And, according to the 1990 U.S. Census, Brown was the 5th most common name in the United States.

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

In BELLEFONTE BOROUGH:

Charles F., 80--14 Pine
	Charles 35
Edward, merchant--6 West Bishop
	Annie
Edward A., 34, merchant--2 West Bishop
	Mary
	Katie
	Edward 1
Edward J., 28, fireman--22 East Logan
	Maggie
	May
Emanuel, prop, Fountain House--corner Bishop and Allegheny
	Rebecca
	T. Clayton 22
	Jennie V.
Helen--3 West Logan
	Mary J.
	Arthur Jr. 3
	Anthony F. 10 mos.
Henry, 26, laborer--12 Eat Logan
Jane--208 East Howard
Lizzie--30 East Logan
	Lizzie

In BENNER TOWNSHIP:

John, 22, laborer--Bellefonte
William, 16, laborer--Bellefonte

In BOGGS TOWNSHIP:

Simon, 23, laborer--Milesburg
	Mary
	Rosie
	Anna

In COLLEGE TOWNSHIP:

Charles R., 22, laborer--State College

In FERGUSON TOWNSHIP:

Dora--Penna Furnace
	William H. 14
	Sarah R.
	Samuel B. 6
	Wilson D. 4
	Benjamin H.
Ira C., 37, lumberman--Penna Furnace
	Annie L.
	M--a
	James H. 11
	Dorcas
	Nancy
	Sarah V.
	David M. 6 mos.

In GREGG TOWNSHIP:

Emanuel, 54, laborer--Spring Mills
	Anna
	Julia A.
	Edward 9
	George W. 14
	Wallace B. 17
	Lizzie J.
	Jerome 2
Nathaniel, 52, mason--Farmers Mills
	Annie
	Willis 26
	Della C.
	Bessie
	Ralph H. 2
Rachael--Spring Mills
	William P. 38
Samuel M., 28, laborer--Spring Mills
	Etta A.
	Theodore F. 3
	Mabel R.
William G., 43, lumberman--Spring Mills
	Elizabeth A.
	Gertrude
	Edith V.
	Edward 11

In HAINES TOWNSHIP:

Samuel, 78, retired--Aaronsburg
	Rebecca

In HALF-MOON TOWNSHIP:

Jedokiah, 75, mail carrier--Loveville

In HARRIS TOWNSHIP:

Benjamin F., 67, farmer--Boalsburg
	Elizabeth E.
	Mary H.
	Frank O. 18
	Floy I.
	Bella M.
	Mabel C.
Lloyd E., 29, farmer--Linden Hall
	Elizabeth
	Laura E.
	Sallie M.
	Baby 1 mo.

In HOWARD TOWNSHIP:

George W., 41, laborer--Mt. Eagle
	Mary M.
	William H. 23
	Elizabeth

In HUSTON TOWNSHIP:

George M., 55, farmer--Martha
	Catharine
	Caton 19
	Annie
	Minnie
	Benjamin 12
	Albert 9
	Eva

In LIBERTY TOWNSHIP:

Benjamin, 28, laborer--Blanchard
	Sophia M.
Frank, 42, laborer--Blanchard
	Susan C.
	Sarah B.
	Bertha M.
	Bert S. 8
	Martha L.
	Philip B. 4
	William F. 2

In MARION TOWNSHIP:

Martha--Walker

In MILESBURG BOROUGH:

Edward H., 27, fireman
	Annie C.
	Calvin E. 2 mos.
Robert H., 33, puddler
	Anna
	John A. 11
	Clarence 9
	Homer 5
	Estella
William D., 35, laborer
	Esther E.
	John H. 9
	Charles C. 7
	William H. 4

In MILLHEIM BOROUGH:

Henry, 52, blacksmith
	Elizabeth
	Luella
	Elbry E. 18
	Theodore H. 16
	Edward M.

In PHILIPSBURG BOROUGH:

George W., 49, teamster--Pine Street
	Phoebe E.
	William B. 21
	Elvia
Isaac, 46, laborer--6th Street
	Jane
	Thomas E. 7
	Catharine
Joseph, 15--Pine Street
Lizzie--3rd Street
Louisa--Pine Street
	Willamina
	Stanfield 13
Lucy E.--12th Street
	Mary L.

In POTTER TOWNSHIP:

Franklin B., 33, laborer--Tusseyville
	Mary A.
	James F. 3
	John 6 mos.
Joel C., 44, farmer--Tusseyville
	Mary J.
	Margaret
	Samuel E.
	Cora

In RUSH TOWNSHIP:

John G., 56, laborer--Philipsburg
	Sophia
	Francis J. 14

In SNOW SHOE TOWNSHIP:

Agnes--Peal
	Robert 17
Ellis T.--Moshannon
John D., 27, laborer--Snow Shoe
	Sarah A.
	Mary A.
	Rachael C.
	Thomas D. 8 mos.
William P., 31, cler--Snow Shoe
	Lydia L.

In SPRING TOWNSHIP:

John, 37, laborer--Axemann
	Catharine M.
	Edward E.
	William W. 11
	Lillie A.
	Maggie M.
	Harry O. 2
	Gertie A.

In UNION TOWNSHIP:

George, 44, laborer--Milesburg
	Annie S.
	Harry O. 16
	Charles M. 7
	Agnes V.
	Calvin E. 5
James F., 46, farmer--Fleming
	Agnes
	Ann
	Phoebe E.
	Nora A.
	James L. 11
	George W. 9
	Ira W. 5
	Laura E.

In UNIONVILLE BOROUGH:

James F., 50, contractor
	Sarah C.
	Elizabeth E.

In WALKER TOWNSHIP:

Henry, 68, merchant--Hublersburg
	Julia A.

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