CENTRE LINES


The Rishel 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 Rishel. 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).

Seven books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deal with the Rishel/Rishell family. They are: Jean Case's William Fisher Rishel and Sallie Olivia Shafer Rishel and Their Descendants (1997), Orrell Dunn's A History of the Rishell Family in America (1974), Amber Keene's Branches, Twigs and Leaves from the Family Tree of Johann Michael and Catharine Deininger Rishel (1996), Marjorie Medlin's The Rishel Genealogy (19--), Marjorie Medlin's Some Rishel Descendants (1994), R. Radnor's The Rishel Family, 1712 to 1992 (1992), and Adam Rishel's Records from the Family Bible of Adam Rishel and Melinda Wolf (19--).

There are 23 different first-name entries for Rishel 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) with the following persons having full-length profiles: Martin Luther Rishel (b. 3-Jan-1850, s/o John and Catherine (Homan)), and William Rishel (b. 25-Jul-1820, s/o George and Catharine (Ream)).

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

In BENNER Township:

John Rishell, 59, farmer--Bellefonte
	Sarah
	Alfred M., 29
	Emma M.
	John W. 2
John H., 33. farmer--Bellefonte
	Alice L.
	William W. 10
	Edward E. 8
	Harry S. 6
	Alice

In COLLEGE Township:

Adam, 59, farmer--Oak Hall
	Malinda
	Oscar L. 32
	William 29
	Newton 27
	Clara
Alma--Oak Hall
John D., 2--Oak Hall

In GREGG Towsnhip:

Emeline--Spring Mills
Jeremiah, 30, farmer--Spring Mills
	Ruby A.
	Charlie A. 8
	Sadie
Joseph, 68, retired--Spring Mills
	Lydia
	Sarah
	Andrew 32
	William P. 19
	Della C.
Martin L., 40, farmer--Farmers Mills
	Catharine A.
	John E. 18
	Carrie E.
	William F. 11
	Lizzie J.
	Rosa J.
	Catharine
Michael, 62, retired--Farmers Mills
	Sarah
	Calvin 29
	Mary C.
	Reuben 16
	Cephas L. 12

In HARRIS Towsnhip:

Ira M., 35, carpenter--Boalsburg
	Ellen
	Effie E.
	Oscar K. 1
Maud S. Rishell--Linden Hall
Thomas A. Rishell, 29, laborer--Linden Hall
	Sallie C.
	Edward L. 5
	Iva

In MILES Township:

Daniel P., 67, coachmaker--Centre Mills
	Sarah A.
Genley, 13--Madisonburg
	John 11
	Harry 8
Herbert, 13--Rebersburg
Lizzie--Madisonburg

In PENN Township:

Jonathan, 24, laborer--Coburn
	Cora H.
	Ertie
Willis W., 30, hotel keeper--Coburn
	Lydia

In POTTER Township:

William, 70, retired--Tusseyville
	Margaret

Copyright © Centre County PAGenWeb Project
All rights reserved.