The best collections of biographical profiles of Centre Countians were published toward the end of the 19th Century. They are available at most major repositories, and in Centre County, can be used on premises at the Pennsylvania Room of the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte as well as Penn State's Pattee and Paterno Libraries on main campus. They are:
This website is also looking for transcribed biographies of persons with a Centre County connection. To submit a biography online, you may use our Centre County Biography Board. Please enter your information carefully, and if you make a mistake, contact the website coordinator immediately so that your entry can be edited.
Prior to June 2001, a separate Biography Message Board for Centre County was maintained at RootsWeb.com, but in the middle of June 2001, a change (wrought by its merger with Ancestry.com) resulted in a merger of all RootsWeb message boards so most browsers can only find these mixed in with other queries on one merged board. If you wish to look at the specific set of Biographies actually posted, go to that only Centre County Board and click on advanced search. Click on the "Centre Board" button, then look in the middle of the page for an instruction that says, "Message Classification," and use the pull-down menu until you reach one for "Biography." It will reveal mentions of these persons amongst the Biography postings: Albert Albright, Ephraim Berryman, John Blitz, George Bloom, F. Confer, James Confer, Andrew Dinges, George Dreibelbis, George Eley, Henry Eley, Martin Eley, Forrest Emrick, Joseph Emrick, Rumiel Everetts, James Gunsallus, Alfred Hale, Isaac Hicks, Hannah (Hicks) Hughes, Henry Hughes, John Hughes, John Knarr, Thomas Lemon, Jacob Lohr, Mary (Seyler) Lohr, Bessie (Wasson) Neff, Chester Neff, Margaret (Lohr) Peterman, Samuel Pletts, Lewis Roub, Samuel Rowe, S. P. Schadel, Johannes Seyler, Emily (Seyler) Spangler, William Spangler, Jacob Sweetwood, John Sweetwood, Larue Thomas, David Witmer, Henry Witmer, Joseph Witmer, John Wood and Henry Zimmerman.
We encourage the continued posting of Biography material, but browsers are advised (1)to do this in the future by using the message boards for Biographies at PA-Roots.com, and (2)to read the Advisory about the changes at RootsWeb.