Shimer & Grace (Black) Allison Family

Allison Farm - Claysburg, PA

Adam Schwartz Black I & Margaretha (Rheinthaler) Black Family

Adam Schwartz was born June 18, 1744 in Germany.  Many believe that Adam I came to America in 1754 aboard the Ship Phoenix with his father and other family members.  If this is true, he would have been about 10 years old.  Unfortunately there is no documented proof of this.  Some family members believe that Adam I was born in Beulich, Germany.  Beulich is a municipality in the district of Rhein-Hunsrück in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany, and is only a few miles east of the Mosel River.  Again we have no documented proof of where he lived in Germany.

Records show Adam Black paying taxes in Pennsylvania in 1782 and also show him on a census in 1783.  The next records show him in Maryland near Taneytown, MD.  Adam's land was a stone's throw from the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, and his land bordered Frederick Black's land.  Frederick was believed to be a brother of Adam I.

It is believed that Adam married in the early 1770's.  He married Anna Margartha Rheinthaler who was born in Germantown, PA on October 29, 1752.  She was christened at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Germantown.  She died in 1793 and is buried at the Taneytown, MD Lutheran Cemetery.  Adam I died on Dec. 18, 1818 and is also buried there.

Adam's last name of Schwartz in German means Black in English.  Somewhere along the way, Adam anglicized his name to Black.  Many of his children were christened with the name Schwartz including Adam Black II who is our ancestor.  The family was Lutheran by faith, and the children were all christened in churches in either Pennsylvania or Maryland.  Some were christened at St. John's Lutheran Church in Littlestown, PA and some were christened at St. Mary's Lutheran Church in Silver Run, MD. 

Adam and Margaretha had the following children:

Jacob, born in 1774 and who died in 1803 in Waterfall, Pa, Huntington County near Saxton, PA  Jacob married Elizabeth ?

Adam II who was born Dec. 23, 1776 in Carroll County, MD which is Taneytown, MD.  This is the predecessor from whom the Claysburg, Pa Black family is descended. Adam died Jan 26, 1852 and is buried in the Claysburg Reformed cemetery. Adam II married Christina N. ?

Hanna Black who was born Nov. 3, 1778 and died April 11, 1855.  She is buried in Taneytown, MD and supposedly married Lawrence Bowers. 

Frederick Schwartz Black was born Sept. 3, 1782 and died in Venango Co., Pa on Sept. 30, 1816 when he was killed by a tree he was cutting down.  Frederick was the only member of the family to continue using the Schwartz name until his death.  Frederick married Mary Ann Rupert.

Henry born Oct. 4, 1784 and died October 20, 1784 and is buried in Taneytown, MD at the Lutheran Church.  Henry married Margaret ?

Peter was born Feb 2, 1786 and died on Aug. 11, 1823 in Frederick Co., MD.  Peter married Sarah ?

Eve was born Dec. 27, 1789.  Eve married Abraham Linn or Lane?

Elizabeth was born about 1791.  Elizabeth married Jesse Elder and also possibly Samuel Neale.

Adam Black II and Christina N. (?) Black

Adam Black II and his wife, Christina N. came to Claysburg, PA in 1804 from Taneytown,MD. Adam was the son of Adam & Margaretha Rheinthaler Black I. Originally the name was Schwartz and was anglicized to Black. The Blacks or Schwartzes are of German descent.

Adam Black II was christened in the Littlestown Lutheran Church about 8 miles south of Gettysburg as Adam Schwartz. He was born on December 23, 1776. Tax records show them living in Maryland until approximately 1802-1803. Taneytown, Maryland is about 10-12 miles south of Gettysburg, PA. Greenfield Township shows him as living there in 1804.

Adam built a mill in what is now called Friesville. Then it was called Black’s Corner.  The mill was located directly across the Pine Hollow Road from the Greenfield Township Building on the former site of the Church of God. Adam later sold that mill to Fries and then it became known as Friesville. Adam and Christina has nine children: Henry, Samuel, Joseph, Jacob, Catherine, Hannah, Anna Eve, Michael and Adam.

Adam was a very community minded person. He build the second school in the area shortly after arriving. He became a Squire or Justice of the Peace in 1820. Previous records showed that he married 104 couples. Adam died January 26, 1852, and his wife, Christina N. died May 9, 1844. Both are buried in the old Claysburg Reformed Lutheran Cemetery.

Michael & Catherine (Ewalt) Black

Michael - Born 3/19/1811 Died 2/20/1881

Michael was the son of Adam & Christina Black II who were some of the first

to settle in Claysburg, PA in 1803-1804.

  They came to Claysburg, PA from Taneytown, MD

Catherine Ewalt - Born 5/4/1816 Died 1/8/1895

Parents of Jerry, Adam, Eve, Sara, Mary and George Black

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Jerry & Ellen (Musselman) Black Family

Jerry - Born 5/1/1845 Died 1/14/1913

Michael (Jerry's father) was the son of Adam & Christina Black II who were some of the first

to settle in Claysburg, PA in 1803-1804.

They came to Claysburg, PA from Taneytown, MD

Ellen Musselman - Born 6/12/1863 Died 6/22/1934

Black Homestead

Lower Claar Road - Claysburg, PA  16625

Present home of Jerry & Chick Black

Children were:  William, Charles, Ray, John, Amos, Chance, Chester, Martha and Clara

Other Members of the Adam Black II  Family

Click on any photo in this collage for a larger view!

Black Family