CENTRE LINES

The BLAIR 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 BLAIR. 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).

One book in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deals in part with the Blair family. It is: Pamela J. Weir's Blair Family History 1798-1996 (1996).

There are 24 different first-name entries for Blair in John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton County (1883). In addition, there are several mentions of the name in Beers' Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania (1898).

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

In BELLEFONTE Borough:

Frank P., 42, jeweler--221 Willowbank Mary E. Allen F. 14 Harol A. 11 Reno R. 8

In COLLEGE Township:

John, 39, laborer--State College John C., 25--State College Margaret Edna

In FERGUSON Township:

James, 35, laborer--State College Kate James W. 11 Mary Ella

In PATTON Township:

Benjamin F., 49, farmer--Fillmore Evaline John W. 25 George C. 13 Mary E. Sarah--Buffalo Run Nancy George 20 Charles 17 Darius 11

In PENN Township:

Samuel, 66, carriagemaker--Coburn

In PHILIPSBURG Borough:

Hezekiah, 65, carpenter--Spruce St. Mary J.

In UNION Township:

Susan H.--Fleming

In UNIONVILLE Borough:

Jeremiah, 63, retired Robert F., 54, laborer Susanna David M. 26 Cora M.