CENTRE LINES

The PACKER 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 PACKER. 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 that apparently deal with the Packere family. They are: Donna Smith Packer's On Footings from the Past: The Packers in England (1988); Warren M. Packer's Packer Genealogy (19--); and, Warren M. Packer's Problems in Packer Genealogy and Preliminary Report of the Family of Eli Packer (St. Louis, Mich., 1948).

There are 44 different first-name entries for Packer 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), with WILLIAM F. Packer (b. 1807) having a separate biographical profile.

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

In BOGGS Township:

Edward, 60, farmer--Roland Amelia S. John W. 24 Ira 22 Catharine E. Mary F. James C. 2 Jonathan W., 42, blacksmith--Milesburg Sarah A.

In CURTIN Township:

James M., 67, laborer--Romola Willemena Lorenzo O. 19 Alma B. Cora E. Hensyl S. 6 Job W., 78, farmer--Romola Martha S. Clyde T. 14 John, 76, farmer--Romola Margaret Nathan J., 35, laborer--Romola Hannah F. Sarah E. Christian C. 3 Mary E. William M., 47, laborer--Romola Malinda B. William R., 48, laborer--Romola Catharine George W. 18 John G. 14 William A. 12 Hannah A. Oscar A. 4

In HOWARD Borough:

Ira M., 33, harness maker Mary E. Anna M. Alma C.

In HOWARD Township:

Clarence--Howard John, 36, farmer--Howard Catharine Virginia Leroy 12 Orie 8 Mabel Walter 2 John, 58, farmer--Howard Mary E. Jane Michael 66 Joseph, 65, farmer--Howard Margaret Minerva Amelia

In LIBERTY Township:

Briton A., 36, laborer--Blanchard Emma E. Albert M. 12 Joseph H. 10 Cleveland B. 9 Charles L. 7 Sarah M. William H., 34, blacksmith--Blanchard Flotilla J. Alfred I. 6 mos.

In MARION Township:

James, 19, laborer--Walker Virgie--Walker In SPRING Township:

Richard, 25, laborer--Axemann Catharine Charlie E., 4 Thomas A. 2 Richard 3 mos.