HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



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manhood devoted his attention to this 

 branch of the business in connection with 

 farming, the lime kihis and quarry hav- 

 ing been previously rented out for many 

 years. The mill was erected in 1833, and 

 is still operated for the use of the farm. 

 William L. Ely was married March 23, 

 1898. to Nettie Wilson, daughter of 

 James and Mary (Holcomb) Wilson, of 

 Hunterdon county, New Jersey. They 

 have no children. In politics Mr. Kly 

 is a Republican. 



GEORGE E. BLACK. The student of 

 history does not have to carry his in- 

 vestigations far into the annals of Bucks 

 county without learning that the Black 

 family was among its early settlers. An- 

 drew A. Black, the grandfather of 

 George E. Black, lived in Plumstead 

 township, where he followed boating and 

 various pursuits. He was drowned in 

 the canal at Weissport in 1836. His wife 

 bore the maiden name of Mary Closson, 

 and they were the parents of the follow- 

 ing named: Anna, wife of O. G. Bird; 

 Elizabeth, wife of Jonathan Smith; Jane, 

 wife of Hugh Major; Isaac; and An- 

 drew A. 



The last named was born in Plum- 

 stead township, December 25, 1836, and, 

 never enjoying the benefits of a father's 

 assistance, started out in life early on 

 his own account. He followed boating 

 for many years, or until 1873, when the 

 capital he had acquired through his own 

 labors enabled him to engage in other 

 pursuits, and he established a mercantile 

 enterprise and a hotel at Point Pleasant, 

 where he spent three years. In 1876 he 

 opened a stone quarry, and supplied the 

 borough _ of Doylestown with its curb 

 stones for a year. He afterward en- 

 gaged in the hotel business for three 

 years in what is now known as the 

 Housen Hotel. He then engaged again 

 in merchandising, which he conducted 

 for three years at Point Pleasant, and 

 during two years subsequent to that time 

 he was proprietor of the Lumberville 

 Hotel. Next turning his attention to 

 agricultural pursuits, he followed farm- 

 ing in Plumstead township for two years, 

 after which he rented the hotel of which 

 George E. Black is now the owner. 

 This the father conducted for three 

 years, and then returned to the farm, 

 giving his time and energies to its cul- 

 tivation and further development for five 

 years. Again he was in the hotel busi- 

 ness for two years, and again followed 

 farming for two years. Once more he 

 conducted a hotel there a year, and re- 

 turning to the farm, was for five years 

 engaged in the tilling of the soil, prior 

 to November 3, 1902, when he opened a 

 grocery and restaurant in partnership 

 with his son. George E., under the firm 

 style of G. E. and A. A. Black, and still 



remains in this business, having pur- 

 chased the interest of his son in April, 

 1904. Whatever success he has achieved 

 is due entirely to his own labors, for he 

 started out in life empty-handed. The 

 force of his character, his strong pur- 

 pose and indomitable energy, have been 

 the salient features in his career and 

 have gained him a comfortable compe- 

 tence. Politically he is a Republican, 

 and, while he has never been active in 

 search for public oftice, he was elected 

 and served as constable of Plumstead 

 township in 1882. He married Miss Su- 

 san Rymond, and they have six chil- 

 dren: Elizabeth, wife of Frank Kugler; 

 George E.; Anna Mary, wife of Elmer 

 Margerum; Lillie C., wife of Victor 

 Johnson; and three who died in infancy. 



George E. Black was born November 

 12, i860, at Point Pleasant, Pennsyl- 

 vania, and acquired a common-school 

 education. He remained at home with 

 his father until twenty-eight years of 

 age. and during his' early manhood was 

 identified with various business enter- 

 prises, finding in each transition stage 

 opportunity for further advancement and 

 a broader scope for his labors. He con- 

 ducted a restaurant in Lambertville, New 

 Jersey, for five years, in connection with 

 the grocery business, and in 1903 pur- 

 chased the hotel and dwelling house 

 known as the George Closson property, 

 at Lower Black's Eddy. He did not take 

 possession of this, however, until April 

 T, 1904, but is now successfully engaged 

 in business and is a popular and genial 

 hotel proprietor. As before stated, he 

 was associated with his father in the 

 conduct of a grocery and restaurant, and 

 after selling out became proprietor of 

 the hotel, which is now being conducted 

 so capably that it has won favor with the 

 traveling public. Mr. Black is well 

 known in local fraternal circles, belong- 

 ing to Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 391, in 

 which he has passed all of the chairs. 



Mr. Black wedded Miss Vinnie J. Sine^ 

 a daughter of William and Sarah Sine, 

 of Raven Rock, New Jersey, and they 

 have become the parents of- two chil- 

 dren: Nellie Lulu, born January 20,. 

 1890; and Andrew^ A., born June i, 1892. 



ELIZA B. TROEMNER. of Point 

 Pleasant, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 

 is a daughter of the late Ralph Stover 

 and of his wife Eliza Stover, both of 

 whom are descendants of Henry Stauf- 

 fer, who was born in Alsace, and came 

 to America with his wife Barbara Hock- 

 man, on the ship "St. Andrew," arriving- 

 in Philadelphia, September 9, 1749. They 

 located on the Skippack in the present 

 limits of Montgomery county, Penn- 

 sylvania, where they resided for about 

 ten years and then removed to Bedmin- 

 ster township, Bucks county, and located 



