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.