CENTRE LINES

The LEWIS Family

This column is part of a feature series which focuses on a different Centre County family each week.

This column's focus is on LEWIS. 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 deal at some length with this family.

There are 10 different first-name entries for Lewis in John Blair Linn's History of Centre and Clinton County (1883). In addition, there are many references to the Lewis name in Beers' Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania (1898).

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

In BELLEFONTE BOROUGH:

Rebecca--318 E. Bishop

In COLLEGE TOWNSHIP:

Oliver L., 19--State College

In PHILIPSBURG BOROUGH:

Martin G., 46, laborer--9th St. Ella M. Harry O. 14 Murray R. 11 Eriel B. 3 Polly E.--7th St. Thomas, 33, laborer--10th St. Margaret A. Ardella B.

In RUSH TOWNSHIP:

William, 48, laborer--Philipsburg George H. 16 Frederick W. 13

In SNOW SHOE TOWNSHIP:

Edward L., 43, laborer--Snow Shoe Annie M. Binnie Minnie William O. 12 Fountain C. 10 Nevin L. 8 Laura E. James A. 3 Eliza J.--Snow Shoe Mary

In SPRING TOWNSHIP:

John, 17, laborer--Bellefonte

In TAYLOR TOWNSHIP:

Grace--Port Matilda Miles, 47, farmer--Olivia Eliza George 21 Henry 17 Laura Elmer 11 Blair 8 Sarah Samuel, 66, laborer--Port Matilda Ellen Isabella Sanford 21 Samuel 20

In WORTH TOWNSHIP:

Carrie--Port Matilda Freda Edgar K. 1 William, 75, laborer--Port Matilda Annie E. Orlando 16 William M., 29, laborer--Port Matilda