Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/555

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES T he Black family is o f Irish Proteslant stock. Jerem iah Black, great-grandfather of A. Bruce Black, w as born in Londonderry, Ireland, and came to America .about the year 1800, first locating in Lewisburg. Northum­ berland Co.. P a., and later moving to Colum­ bia county. Tie w as a skilled mechanic and followed milling and milKvrighting. In Northumberland county he operated a large flour mill until 1822, the time o f his removal to Columbia county, and the remainder o f h is life w as spent in operating a mill for Jam es Ilcberm an. He w as drowned in at­ tempting to ford .a swollen stream hclow Bow ­ m an's mills on Dec. 7. 1827. H is w ife sur­ vived him many years, dying Jan. 27, 1865. H er maiden name was ^Ia^y Thomson, and she w as o f Belfast, Ireland, a member of the same fam ily as the late W illiam Thomson. Lord Kelvin, the noted British mathematician .and physicist, being his great aunt. M r. and M rs. Black had the following children: Jam es, born in (806, w as a miller and inventor, .and died in Philadelphia at the age o f eighty y e a rs; John is mentioned below : M ary m ar­ ried 1'hcodorc Pinkerton, a resident o f In­ dian a: Jerem iah died at an early a g e; W ill­ iam w as a jew eler o f Tioga coun tv; Caroline, deceased, married a M r. Pcarsali, an a c to r; I^ v in a died at an early a g e : Horatio Nelson, who. like his father, w as o f a mechanical turn of mind, resided in Philadelphia. John Black w as bom in Northumberland county Ocl. 26. 1809. and learned the trade o f miller with his father. .After the latier's death he assisted in supporting the family and rearing his younger brothers and sisters. He was first «nployed in Hoffm an's mill, near Light Street, and later at Bowman’s and other mills in the locality. H e was finally obliged to give up his trade on account o f his failing health and for some time was engaged in burr drc-ssing. after which he purchased a tavern at Rohrsburg. which he conducted in connection with a general merchandise store, also engaging in the lumber and furniture trade. lie built a new hotel known as the ‘■Rohrsburg H ouse." and carried it on in con­ junction with farming. Ilis son Pcrrv' D. succeeded him as proprietor of the store, but .Mr. Bbick assisted him until his removal in 1898. to Bloomsburg. where he afterw ards livc<l in retirement at the home o f his son William. He had excellent health until one year previous to his death, which occurred in 1902. M r. Black married .Ann I,cmon, daugh­ ter o f Jonathan I.emon. Jan . 3 1 . 1833. and they reared seven children, as follow s: Lemon

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a farm er near R oh rsbu ig; Isaac F ., re­ tired, o f M orris, Tioga Co., Pa., where he w as formerly a hotel keeper; P erry D., for­ merly a merchant o f Rohrsburg; M ary C., deceased; .Alfred B., who died Feb. 22, i 860 , from disease contracted in the w ar of the Rebellion, having enlisted in 1864, in Com­ pany D, 2d Pennsylvania C avalry, and served until the close of the w a r; W illiam W .; and Elizabeth, who married J. W. Fortner, of Centralia, P a. John Black was a member of the Presbyterian Church for some years. W illiam W. Black was bom N ov. 19. 1845, at E yers Grove, Columbia county, and reared in his lu tivc township, where he attended mmmon school. H e then engaged in huck­ stering. which business he continued until he purchased his father’s hotel, which he ntanaged successfully for over fifteen years. Sub­ sequently for a time he followed farming in connection with the hotel business, but later rented his hotel property. In 1893 w as a candidate for the office o f sheriff, but w as beaten for the nomination. In 1896 he received the nomination, w as elected by a comfortable m ajority, and moved into the residence part of the ja il, which is fitted with all modem improvements and is in keeping with the remainder of the building, a massive and beautiful stone structure, o f two stories and basement. A t the close o f this term Mr. Black was succeeded by Sheriff K norr, but un Ja n. i, 1903, resumed the duties of the office fo r another term, having been honored with rcclcction. During the last three years o f his life he was court crier, and he had served earlier a s constable and tax collector. He died Feb. 28, 1 9 1 1, and is buried at Bloomsburg. On Dec. 28, 18 7 1, M r. Black married K.achci A. Unger, daughter o f Lafayette U n­ ger, o f Unityville. and they became the par­ ents o f two children: E lla M .. who married John W. Mather, by whom she had two sons, Ray and B ru cc; and .A. Bm cc. M rs. Black died at Bloomsburg Dec. 4. 19 13, when sixtythree years o f age. In 18C4 M r. Black enlisted in the 210th Regiment, P a. Vol. In f., and continued in the service until the close of the war. A lfred Brucc Black w as born Sept. 2 0 .18 7 3. at Rohrsbuig. in Greenxvood township, Co­ lumbia county, and bigan his schooling in the locality. l.ater he was sent to Dickinson Sem inary, at W illiamsjiort. Pa., and Ihcn to the high school at Y o rk. Pa. H e continued his studies at Michael University, I^ogans|>ort, Ind.. graduating from that institution in the