RUSH TOWNSHIP

Rush Township, the largest in area, lies on the Southwestern side of the county, bounded on the West by Moshannon creek. Philipsburg, its emporium formerly, is now a borough. The principal surveys in its territory were made in 1793 and 1794. It is now traversed by the Tyrone and Clearfield railroad and the extension of the Vanderbilt road from Jersey Shore. At Sandy Ridge there are extensive fire-brick works. The township is divided into two precicts, North and South precincts. Osceola Station, Powelton and Sandy Ridge are its stations on the Tyrone and Clearfield railroad. Rush Township was erected at April Sessions, 1814, out of Half-Moon and called in honor of Dr. Benjamin Rush. It is noted for its rich deposits of coal.

(SOURCE: Eleventh Census of the Population of the United States Published by Boroughs and Townships, in Connection with a Business Directory of the Same, Bellefonte, Pa., 1890.)

RUSH TOWNSHIP CENSUS RECORDS

1850--371
1860--680
1870--1,963
1880--1,591
1890--2,829
1900--2,430
1910--3,763
1920--4,645
1930--3,969
1940--4,077
1950--3,707
1960--3,454
1970--3,167
1980--3,434
1990--3,411
2000--3,466

(SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population, Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce.)

TOWNS & VILLAGES

Villages and towns in Rush Township include Spike Island, Osceola Heights, Glass City, Edendale, Sandy Ridge, Powelton, Retort, Twig Settlement, Antes, Black Bear, Beaver Mills, Underwood Mill, Star Mill, Coaldale, Newtown, Phoenix, Mulligan Hollow, Stumptown, Loch Lomond, Low Coal, Penn Five, Summit, Boynton, Curtis Park, Horne's Heights, Casanova, Point Lookout, Dugansville, Tunnel Mines and Mt. Pleasant. For a discussion of these, see Paul M. Dubbs, Where to Go and Place-Names of Centre County, 1961.

TAX ASSESSMENT RECORDS

Tax assessment records for Rush Township from 1816 forward can be found in the basement of the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte. Persons wishing to use these records must first sign the Guest Researcher register in the Pennsylvania Room.

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