CENTRE LINES

The BOAL 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 BOAL. 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).

No books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deal with the Boal family.

There are 21 different first-name entries for Boal 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' Boal neighbors in 1890:

In BELLEFONTE Borough:

Robert H., 43, engineer--11 S. Thomas Emma C. May E.

In BENNER Township:

John, 65, laborer--Pleasant Gap Mary A. John H. 26 William E. 23 Nora J. Anna M. Benjamin F. 15 Emma R.

In CENTRE HALL Borough:

James C., 63, justice of the peace Tamar Jennie B.

In COLLEGE Township:

Franklin A., 27, laborer--State College Ida Nora J.--State College Samuel, 67, laborer--Houserville Maria

In HARRIS Township:

John S., 60, farmer--Boalsburg Elizabeth R.

In POTTER Township:

George M., 51, farmer--Centre Hall Sarah E. Martha J. Mollie A. Maggie L. Blanche Mabel A. Peter, 55, shoemaker--Tusseyville Rebecca Jonas 14 Catharine Peter S., 18--Tusseyville Sallie R.--Tusseyville William, 60, farmer--Tusseyville Elizabeth William A., 55, farmer--Centre Hall Melvin E. Elizabeth B. Cora C. Martha O. Elsie C.