CENTRE LINES

The BOYER 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 BOYER. 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).

Four books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deal with the Boyer family. They are: Donald Boyer's American Boyers, Betty Hunt's George Boyer and Widow Eve circa 1775-1839, Mary Lontz's Centre County Ancestors, and Larry Smith's Descendants of the Likes of Shoemakers and Such.

There are 13 different first-name entries for Boyer 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).

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

In BELLEFONTE Borough:

Emma--N. Water Milford 22 Catherine Harry J. 8

In COLLEGE Township:

Harry W. 5--State College Howard R. 2 William, 43, laborer--State College Margery

In HAINES Towsnhip:

Samuel B., 34, laborer--Aaronsburg Sarah E. Newton W. 11 Ira T. Freddie J. 5 Nettie E. Ella E.

In HUSTON Township:

Adam, 46, laborer--Julian Sarah J. Orlando 16 Irvin 14 Florence Charles, 48, laborer--Julian Rachael A. Charles J., 20, laborer--Julian Isaac, 65, laborer--Julian Elizabeth Allen 13 Nathaniel 40, laborer--Julian Sarah E. Isaac 5 Elizabeth Lindy 3 mos.

In MILES Township:

Samuel, 75, laborer--Rebersburg

In MILLHEIM Borough:

Mary

In PHILIPSBURG Borough:

George, 32, teamster--4th St. Sophia Daniel 6 Wallace 3 Hugh, 70, retired--Water St. Mary

In RUSH Township:

Daniel, 35--Philipsburg Amanda E. Mabel A. Cynthia D. John W., 43, laborer--Philipsburg Poebe Sarah E. Mary E. Nelson 5 Maud Bell

In SPRING Township:

William, 28, laborer--Bellefonte