Fayette County Hoover Tax Records, cont.

In my last post, I went over what I found in the German Township, Fayette County tax records during my recent trip to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In this post, I’m going to address what I found in the Union and Tyrone Township tax records.

If you recall, I had this information for the township before the trip:

Union Township

• Andrew Hoover (1785—1788)
• Henry Hoover (1785—1789)
• George Hoover (1787—1789)
• Jacob Hoover (1787—1788)
• John Hoover (1787—1789)

These tax records, given the timeframe, most likely, refer the sons of Andrew¹. I don’t believe his grandsons would be of age in 1785.

The township records on microfilm start in 1810. I looked at records from 1810 through 1825, specifically for any Hoover listed. Here’s a summary of what I found:

• George Hoover (1810—1825)
• Philip Hoover (1810, 1815)
• John Hoover (1810—1811, 1814—1815)

George Hoover first appears as a farmer in 1810 and is listed as such through 1825 when I stopped browsing the records. If I’m reading the records correctly, it appears he had 50-60 acres of land and usually 2 horses and 2 or 3 cattle. In 1824, the tax records also state that he had 1 dog.

I believe that this George Hoover is the son of Andrew² (Andrew¹). George Hoover died intestate on 20 May 1847.^[1] According to his estate papers, he resided on the same tract of land in Union Township all his life—a tract that was devised to him by his father Andrew Hoover. His daughter Elizabeth, co-executor of the estate with her brother John, received a patent for the property on 25 Oct 1848.^[2]

Philip is listed as a laborer in 1810 and 1815, but there is a note in 1815 that he had “come of age.” John is listed as a plasterer in 1810, 1814, and 1815, but in 1815 there is the note that he has “come in.” It appears that neither John nor Philip owned property.

I believe this John Hoover may be the son of George³ (Andrew², Andrew¹). John Hoover is listed as an heir of George Hoover in George’s estate papers in 1848. John Hoover is listed as being age 45 in the 1850 US Census for Union Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.^[3] Also in his household:

• Elizabeth Hoover, age 52, female, born in Pennsylvania
• Anice Hoover, age 42, female, born in Pennsylvania
• Mary Hoover, age 19, female, born in Pennsylvania
• Jane Carr, age 16, female, born in Pennsylvania
• Martha Smith, age 9, female, born in Pennsylvania

George’s estate provides an idea on who these females are. Elizabeth Hoover, George’s daughter, was co-executor of the estate. “Anice” is likely Ann, George’s heir, probably a daughter. Mary Hoover was the daughter of Rosanna Hoover, deceased, and granddaughter of George Hoover.^[4] Jane Carr was the daughter of Mary Hoover, daughter of George Hoover, and deceased wife of William Carr.^[5] Martha Smith may be the daughter of Sarah Hoover and her husband Mark Smith, who were listed as heirs of George.

Also included in George’s estate was his daughter Catharine Hoover, wife of Joseph Downer. Catharine had died prior to the settling of her father’s estate, but her seven children were named: Aaron Downer, John Downer, Jemima Downer, Nathaniel Downer, Joseph Downer, Ann J. Downer, and Adventure Downer. Joseph Downer and his children were in Muscatine, Iowa at the time the estate was settled in 1850, but I’ve been unable to locate them there in census records.

The Philip Hoover is a mystery. It’s possible that he was a son of George³ Hoover. George² Hoover (Andrew¹), George³‘s uncle, had a son Philip who died in Bullskin Township in 1793 and this George also had a grandson named Philip (Christian³, George², Andrew¹). So, the name is not unheard of within the family.

Tyrone Township

I decided to examine Tyrone township tax records because Andrew Hoover purchased land in Tyrone township from John Waller in 1775 and a “widow” Hoover listed in the township during the 1800 US Census. Figuring it was possible Andrew died sometime before 1800, I hoped I might be able to get his wife’s name or perhaps names of his children from the tax records.

I found no Hoovers in the township records for 1799. But in 1801 there were two: Henry Hoover, single, and Sarah Hoover, owner of 1 horse and 1 cattle. The two Hoovers do not appear in subsequent records through 1810.

So, we now know of a Sarah Hoover, most likely a widow, and a Henry Hoover, quite possibly her son, in Tyrone township in 1800/01. Unfortunately, the records do not provide enough information to be able to definitively tie them to our Hoover family.

Footnotes

1. Fayette County Orphans County Docket, Vol. 4: 259, 369
2. Fayette County Warrant Book H-46: 603; and Fayette County Warrant Book C-112: 22
3. John Hoover household, 1850 United States Federal Census, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Union Township, page 166 dwelling 259, family 266; National Archives micropublication M432, roll 779.
4. Mary Hoover petitioned to have John Hoover as her gaurdian, stating she was the daughter of Rosanna Hoover, a daughter of George Hoover.
5. Fayette County Orphans Court Docket, Vol, 4: 369; Jane asks for John Hoover a guardian. She was the only heir of her mother.

• Category: Research