CENTRE LINES

The ROAN/RHONE 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 Roan/Rhone. 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).

There is one book in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte that apparently deal in part with the Roan/Rhone family. It is: Marcile Fisher Tressler's Fisher, 400 Years (1996).

There are 19 first-name entries for Roan or Rhone 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 one person having a full-length biographical profile: Leonard Rhone (b. 1838, s/o Jacob and Sarah (Karstetter) Rhone).

And, now, your ancestors' Roan/Rhone neighbors in 1890:

BELLEFONTE Borough:

John W. Rhone, 57, dentist--20 N. Allegheny Caroline E. Charles 23 Ella

BENNER Township:

Emanuel, 50, farmer--Fillmore Rachael M. Mary M. Jeremiah, 48, farmer--Bellefonte Rosaline Alice I. Robert W. 17 John H. 14 William M. 11 James H. 9

COLLEGE Township:

George R., 38, undertaker--Lemont Harriet Levi 18 Etta S.

FERGUSON Township:

Jacob Rhone, 50, teacher--Pine Grove Mills Kate Ralph 12

POTTER Township:

Leonard Rhone, 57, farmer and Master State Grange Patrons of Husbandry--Centre Hall Margaret S. Mary O.

SPRING Township:

James, 63, cooper--Bellefonte Catharine M. Mary J. Sarah A. Harry A. 18 John S., 66, laborer--Bellefonte Nancy M. Edward D. 28 William A. 24 Hattie E. Sarah Rhone--Bellefonte