CENTRE LINES

The GATES 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 GATES. 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).

Three books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte deal at some length with the Gates family. They are Raymond Bell's Eight Central Pennsylvania Families of the Tyrone Region: Buck, Crocker, Gates, Kelly, Laird, McFarland, Weston, Woodring; William S. Gates' John Caleb Gates (Johann Gottlieb Goetz); and, O.E. Sunday's Genealogical Register of the Probable Ancestor and of the Actual Descendants of Henry Getz.

There are 17 different first-name entries for Gates in John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton County (1883). In addition, there are many references to the these names in Beers' Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania (1898) with one of them (with an identifiable Centre County connection) having a separate profile: D.P. Gates (b. 1840, s/o Henry and Dorothy Ann (?)).

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

In BELLEFONTE Borough:

Charles L., 26, editor--27 E. Lamb Fannie E. Edward L. 3 Winnifred M. Lindley H. 10 mos.

In BENNER Township:

Uriah, 45, farmer--Bellefonte Afney E. Mary E. Della L. Laura B. Margaret E. Wallace C. 6 Henry T. 4 Willie U. 3 mos.

In COLLEGE Township:

James S., 29, laborer--State College Louisa M. Lillian B. William J. 3 John W. Getz, 40, tinner--Lemont Alice C. Mary Charles G. 9 David B. 7

In FERGUSON Township:

Ann E.--Gatesburg Sarah J. Isaac A. 35 Mary E. Wilson V. 13 Edgar L. 10 Samuel 8 Edith I. Isaac 5 mos. Elizabeth--Gatesburg Ira V. 25 John C. 23 Laura J. Emeline--Fairbrook Anna M. Verna I. John C., 32, farmer--Pine Grove Mills Maggie B. Laura A. Joseph, 65, laborer--State College Mary B. Levina--Rock Springs Richard T., 49, laborer--Rock Springs Maria J. William, 62, farmer--Rock Springs Catharine Robert M. 25 Maria E. William P. 19 John R. 17

In HALF-MOON Township:

David, 53, farmer--Loveville Mary A. Ellen A. Annie Benner G. 12 Willetta Earl L. 5 David J., 46, carpenter--Stormstown Mary J. William H. David J. Lydia J. George, 68, farmer--Stormstown Nathaniel G. 11 Golda P. Sarah V. Anna B. Margaret--Loveville Mary J.--Stormstown

In HOWARD Township:

Martin Luther, 47, farmer--Mt Eagle Margaret C. Robert B. 9 Clara Pearl Martin 5 William 3

In PENN Township

Amos W., 43--Coburn Louisa Emma A. Maggie V. Amos V. 11 Alonzo B. 9 Hiram D. 6

In PHILIPSBURG Borough:

Bessie--3rd St.

In SNOW SHOE Township:

Elizabeth--Snow Shoe Jacob E., 22, carpenter--Snow Shoe Harry M. 14

In UNION Township:

Miles, 45, farmer--Fleming Maria Anna M.

In WALKER Township:

George W., 53, retired--Nittany Rebecca W. Alice I. Emeline M. William W. 20 James 18 Ira B. Alfred T. 6 Thomas L. 9 mos. William, 81, farmer--Nittany Catharine Mary E. Mary George 10

In WORTH Township:

George, 38, farmer--Port Matilda Nancy Henry, 68, farmer--Port Matilda Sylvina Pierce 13 Nora E. Harry B. 26 William 24