CENTRE LINES

The JOHNSTON 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 JOHNSTON. 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 apparently deal with the Johnston family. They are: Anna Houck's Johnston Family, Laura Johnston's Descendants of My Great Grandparents and Alice McCabe's The Smythe Sword.

There are 49 different first-name entries for Johnston 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' JOHNSTON neighbors in 1890:

In BELLEFONTE Borough:

George B., 27, machinist--23 N. Spring Lillian John T., 60, Clerk in Sec. Int. office Dept. Harrisburg--114 W. Linn Mary A. Eliza F.

In FERGUSON Township:

Clark P., 36, machinist--Gatesburg Daniel I., 52, farmer--State College Catharine Cyrus M. 22 William E. 20 Joseph M. 16 Olin A. 14 Emery C. 7 Sarah A.--Guyer John E. 9 Minnie M. Elizabeth

In HARRIS Towsnhip:

Sarah--Boalsburg Maggie H.

In LIBERTY Township:

Charles, 47, laborer--Blanchard Mary Mary Ellen Harry, 28--Blanchard Nancy J. Vergie Rufus I. Nathan H., 35, undertaker--Blanchard Jennie Bertha Martha D. William B., 43, laborer--Blanchard Ada C. Clarence D. 12 Charles M. 8 Earl H. 2

In MILESBURG Borough:

William R., 47, heater Lucinda C. George W. 19 John F. 17 Oscar L. 14 Araminta Elizabeth Frank K. 7 Mary J. William L. 2

In POTTER Township:

John, 71, shoemaker--Potters Mills Mary E. Samuel 17

In RUSH Township:

Estella J.--Philipsburg Carrie A. George W., 12--Philipsburg Manville, 37, laborer--Philipsburg Diana Leah

In SPRING Township:

William, 43, plasterer--Pleasant Gap Catharine Sallie Anna Ella M.

In TAYLOR Township:

John A., 18, laborer--Port Matilda Luella B. Catharine Winfield S., 30, laborer--Port Matilda Sarah Blair W. 8 Wilfred N. 5 In WORTH Township:

Andrew, 25, laborer--Port Matilda Almeda Oscar S. 1