Centre County PAGenWeb -- Centre Lines

The Rishel 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 Rishel. 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).

Seven books in the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library in Bellefonte apparently deal with the Rishel/Rishell family. They are: Jean Case's William Fisher Rishel and Sallie Olivia Shafer Rishel and Their Descendants (1997), Orrell Dunn's A History of the Rishell Family in America (1974), Amber Keene's Branches, Twigs and Leaves from the Family Tree of Johann Michael and Catharine Deininger Rishel (1996), Marjorie Medlin's The Rishel Genealogy (19--), Marjorie Medlin's Some Rishel Descendants (1994), R. Radnor's The Rishel Family, 1712 to 1992 (1992), and Adam Rishel's Records from the Family Bible of Adam Rishel and Melinda Wolf (19--).

There are 23 different first-name entries for Rishel 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) with the following persons having full-length profiles: Martin Luther Rishel (b. 3-Jan-1850, s/o John and Catherine (Homan)), and William Rishel (b. 25-Jul-1820, s/o George and Catharine (Ream)).

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

In BENNER Township:

John Rishell, 59, farmer--Bellefonte Sarah Alfred M., 29 Emma M. John W. 2 John H., 33. farmer--Bellefonte Alice L. William W. 10 Edward E. 8 Harry S. 6 Alice

In COLLEGE Township:

Adam, 59, farmer--Oak Hall Malinda Oscar L. 32 William 29 Newton 27 Clara Alma--Oak Hall John D., 2--Oak Hall

In GREGG Towsnhip:

Emeline--Spring Mills Jeremiah, 30, farmer--Spring Mills Ruby A. Charlie A. 8 Sadie Joseph, 68, retired--Spring Mills Lydia Sarah Andrew 32 William P. 19 Della C. Martin L., 40, farmer--Farmers Mills Catharine A. John E. 18 Carrie E. William F. 11 Lizzie J. Rosa J. Catharine Michael, 62, retired--Farmers Mills Sarah Calvin 29 Mary C. Reuben 16 Cephas L. 12

In HARRIS Towsnhip:

Ira M., 35, carpenter--Boalsburg Ellen Effie E. Oscar K. 1 Maud S. Rishell--Linden Hall Thomas A. Rishell, 29, laborer--Linden Hall Sallie C. Edward L. 5 Iva

In MILES Township:

Daniel P., 67, coachmaker--Centre Mills Sarah A. Genley, 13--Madisonburg John 11 Harry 8 Herbert, 13--Rebersburg Lizzie--Madisonburg

In PENN Township:

Jonathan, 24, laborer--Coburn Cora H. Ertie Willis W., 30, hotel keeper--Coburn Lydia

In POTTER Township:

William, 70, retired--Tusseyville Margaret