One of the difficulties in researching Christian Hoover has been trying to find the location of his property. Through family stories, I know he lived in Clearfield County—either Covington or Karthaus townships. My grandmother remembers having family picnics there when she was growing up—the family moved from Clearfield County to Pine Glen, Burnside Township, Centre County when she was two—so it couldn’t have been too far away from the Pine Glen/Karthaus area.
I’ve searched for deeds for Christian Hoover with no luck. All I’ve been able to find are the deeds where his children and widow sold his property after his death in 1888. I’ve no idea when or from whom he received the property. These deeds place Christian Hoover’s 50-acre farm in Covington Township and as being part of the “Dodge lands” and warrant no. 5404.[1]
Now, this map shows the tract for Dodge, James & Stokes, no. 5404 (see top right corner of pink area).
According to this map, Christian Hoover’s farm was on a branch of the Mosquito Creek. A modern atlas shows this tributary as Twelvemile Run. Given it’s location, it’s possible that the deed was recorded not in Clearfield County, but in the county to the north—Cameron County.
Unfortunately, a search in the Cameron County deed index does not turn up any deeds for Christian Hoover.
So, when did Christian and family arrive in Covington Township? The family, I believe, is in Henderson Township, Jefferson County at the time of the 1860 US Federal census.[2] Christian was of Gaskill Township, Jefferson County in 1863 when he was drafted for the Civil War.[3] I haven’t found any of the family in the 1870 census. But Caroline (Kinnard) Hoover was of Covington Township, Clearfield County when she died in Feb 1877.[4]
So, sometime between 1863 and 1877, Christian Hoover moved his family from Jefferson County to the northern section of Covington Township, Clearfield County. Tax records—if they exist—might help to pinpoint when Christian moved onto his 50-acre farm, but beyond that I’m all out of suggestions.
Do you have any research ideas? If so, please send them my way!
Footnotes
- Samuel T. Hoover to George R. Boak (1889), Clearfield County Deed Book 51:606-607 ↩
- Catharine Hoover household, 1860 United States Census, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Brown’s Mills post office, Henderson Township, page 165, dwelling 334, family 334, lines 31-34; National Archives micropublication M653, roll 118, viewed 7 Apr 2011 ↩
- Ancestry.com, U.S. Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865 (database online), Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010; Original data: Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registrations, 1863-1865, NM-65, entry 172, 620 volumes; Records of the Provost Marshal General’s Bureau (Civil War), Record Group 110, National Archives, Washington D.C ↩
- “Letters of Administration – Caroline Hoover,” File Number 1925, George M. Ferguson, Collection of Kristen Hocker ↩