CENTRE LINES

The DELONG 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 DELONG. 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).

There are three books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deals in part with the Delong family. They are: DeLong Family in America (19--), Thomas A. DeLong's The DeLongs of New York and Brooklyn; a Huguenot Family Portrait (Southport, Conn.: Sasco Associates, 1972), and Irwin Hoch Delong's The Lineage of Malcolm Metzgar Parker from Johannes DeLang (Lancaster, Pa., 1926).

There are 17 first-name entries for Delong 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' DeLong neighbors in 1890:

CURTIN Township:

David B., 55, laborer--Romola Nancy J. Lizzie M. Virgie B. Thomas O. 12 Etta B. Elizabeth--Romola Thomas S., 31 Rilla E. Rebecca J. Lula A. Ethel R. T. Rex 1 Hugh S., 43, laborer--Romola Ada H. Maud B. Elsie M. Charles 16 Carrie K. Mamie L. Harry L. 7

LIBERTY Township:

Jacob, 10--Blanchard Jacob, 34, blacksmith--Blanchard Maggie Tammie James I., 55, merchant--Blanchard Lettie J. Chauncey 19 Carrie E. James I. Jr. 29 William A., 33, laborer--Blanchard Anna B. Ira B. 9 Clyde E. 7 Wallace W. 4 Chrissie M.

MILES Township:

John H., 36, postmaster--Livonia Asenath Charles A. 6 Astora