CENTRE LINES

The MURPHY 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 MURPHY. 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 apparently deal in part with the Murphy family.

There are 16 first-name entries for Murphey/Murphy 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' Murphy neighbors in 1890:

FERGUSON Township:

John A.--Pine Grove Mills Rebecca--Pine Grove Mills

HUSTON Township:

Daniel D., 36, laborer--Julian Catharine Rose M. Hannah David C., 30, laborer--Julian Sallie John W., 37, laborer--Julian Catharine Ralph 6 Maggie S. Michael, 36, butcher--Julian Mary A.

PATTON Township:

Nannie M.--Buffalo Run

RUSH Township:

Charles E., 14--Philipsburg James, 42, laborer--Retort Bridget Daniel 11 Patrick 3 Richard 5 mos.

SNOW SHOE Township:

James 4--Moshannon James, 56, miner--Moshannon Bridget Nannie Daniel 16 Thomas 12 William 10 Essie Rosia

SPRING Township:

Patrick, 38, furnaceman--Bellefonte Annie Timothy 7 Jennie M. Michael 4 Annie John 2

WALKER Township:

John W., 37--Zion