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History of Lorentz Community (Upshur County, W. Va.)

History of Lorentz Community (Upshur County, W. Va.) - Page 1

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Title	History of Lorentz Community (Upshur County, W. Va.)
Author	Marple, A. J.
Description	Early history of a West Virginia community. Content appears to have been written in early 20th century.
DLA Category	Politics and Government
Place	Lorentz (West Virginia)
Format	13 leaves (8.5 x 11 in.) duplicated typescript
Type	Text
Holding Library	West Virginia Wesleyan College
Identifier	wv00112p
Relation	Greta Proudfoot Collection
Publisher	Published by the Agrucultural Extension Division, organtown, W. Va.
Transcript	- HI S- TOR- Y OF LORENTZ COIIJNIJNITY (~ pshurC ounty, W, Va.) Prepared By A', J, Marple Published By The Agricultural Extension Division HI STORY OF LORZNTZ C OmWNITY Written For Coun'cry L i f e Conference, 1923 by A, J, Xarple History The settlement of Chis commurlity dates back t o the. e. ighteent: n cell-. It \ mas o r i g i n a l l y a p a r t of Harrison Cougty, became a part of Lewis County i n 1816, and of Upshur County i n 1951, Thc e a r l y pioncess were the Al. lrnans, Castos, Reqers, West-f a l l s , Larentzes, Clarks, and others, They. inrere mainly of Dutch dt, sc, r? nt, znd i7: erc an honest, sturdy, hardy, industrious, frugal people, and have transrzit t ed these q u a l i t i e s t o t h e i r descendants in a marked degree, On the twenty- fourth day of April, 1805, a patent as i s w e d by Governor Pagc f o r 200 acres of land on a Land Office V a r r a ~ t dated Desember 24, 1783, to William Allman, the grandfather of George W. Allman, the l a t e J. 14, Allman and the l a t e Nathan Allaan* So lare can take the date of 1783 as the time of W i l l i a m Allman's s e t t l i n g on the farm on which he and h i s son George afld grandson Jacob M. lived and died, and nn which Dane and Ada A l l m a n and Mrst J. M. Allman now l i v e , William A l l m a n came from t h e South Branch of the Potomac, and was of Dutch descent, H i s numberous descendants now l i v e I n t h i s and other connunities, The Regerts were among the early s e t t l e r s , About the year 1765 Jacob Reger came t o America from Holland. In 1776 he made a location a t what i s now known as Volga i n Barbour County, H i s lnife vas Barbara C r i t e s and t o them mere born six sons and f i v e daugh-ters, and t h e i r descendants throughout t h i s and adjoining count i ~ s are a legion, Anthony Reger, the oldest son of Jacob ileger, s e t t l e d on the f. rn? ol? Nhich Krs. Akrtin Reger and Blaine Zickefoose l i v e a A Land ::/ arrant f o r 243 acres of land dated January 15, 1802, and a patent for the same was issued by John Tyler, Governor of Virginia, on the f i r s t of A u ~ u s t , 1809 t o Anthony Reger and his sons, Tlenry and Saul, and daughter, Rachel. Afterward Henry became the owner and s t i l l l a t e r h i s son Martin, and a t his death, h i s widow and daughter, M r s. Lura Ziclcefoose, i n h e r i t e d this farm. John PLeger, a brother o f Anthony, married Elizabeth West. IIe was described as "" standing 6 f e e t 2 inches in his sock f e e t , n~ nssive in person, huge body, a great head, stalwart arrils, a big h e a r t , brave, and of prodigious s t r e n g t h. "" S t o r i e s are told of the great physical f e a t s he performed, Hezwalked t o 1Vinches t e r and back so that "" his l i t t l e Bettielf rizight have a s t o r e gown in which to be married, Another brother was Justice of the Peace fob-- 40 years. H i s s l s t e r Annie married, Captain John Bozarth ( commonly c a l l e d Rozier ), and h i s si& es Mary married George Bozarth. John Bozarth, Sr., s e t t l e d at Lorentz. H i s cabin was j u s t a c r o s s t h e r a i l r o a d from the Allman house nom occupied by E. 0. Reeder. Here was the scene of the trag- during the Indian foray in 1795. It w a s harvest time. John Bozarth, S r. , and h i s son George, were hauling bhea; G to the s t a b l e when they heard screams at the house. They ran t ovrard the house, and George being the younger, althougl he weighed over 300 pounds, outran h i s f a t h e r , and as he ran around a hog pen he came face t o face iuith an Indian vrith a gun drawn ready to shoot. George f e l l t o the ground j u s t as the gu. n was fired., and the Indian, thinking that he had k i l l e d George, turn-ed h i s a t t e n t i o n t o John, S r. , who ran down the bottom and jumped Finks Run. The Indian, i n attempting to follow, f e l l in the run, Gave a savage 17Uh, l1 threw his tomahawk at Bozarth and gave up the chase. George's v r i f e, Nary ( ~ e ~ e rm) a, s washing clotlies at the Tun and hearing the commotion and suspecting the cause, took t o the woods and made her way s a f e l y t o the f o r t , as d i d h e r husband. who promptly got up when the Indian chased his f a t h e r , The 1ndi: tr; s k i l l e d a crippled boy and three s m a l l children, and took Tars. 3ozarth and two boys prisoners, v~ ho were afterward released when a t r e a t y of peace was made, One of the boys named Zed, was simple-niinded,, but mas a strong, muscular boy, 011 Arrival at the Indian v i l l a g e the Indians as usual required t h e i r prisoners ~ O Y X Uth~ e gaunklet t o the Ilouse of Refuge, As Zed was a boy they had the Indian boys chase him, but Zed resented t h e i r beatings and turned and knocked down the f i r s t boy t h a t struck h i m , g r e a t l y to the amusement of the Indians. I. A t one time, Isaac Reger, the youngest brother of Anthony, cane t o v i s i t h i s s i s t e r , k r y , who rnarried George Bozarth, In the ev. ening about milking time a boy was sent across the run into the woods on the h i l l s i d e opposite the house t o bring the COWS. A l l a t once they heard the boy scream. The two bear dogs at once ran f o r tne boy. The men grabbed t h e i r guns and upon going t o the boy, found t h a t the dogs had t r e e d a panther that had unexpectedly appeared on top of a f a l l e n t r e e , threatening t o junip on the boy. The panther m a s s h o t. SO you see that the early s e t t l e r s were endangered not only ' oy wild men, but by wild b e a s t s as w e l l. Ecring the same Indian r a i d , Nicliolas Ours, Sr., ( whose f a t h e r , Siclvnan Ours, a revolutionary s o l d i e r , s e t t l e d here i n 1794), who was the grandfatner of the l a t e. H. F, Ours, ex- sheriff of - Upshur County, l i v e d on B i l l ' s Run, He was a l a d of 10 o r 12 years and w a s out i n the woods playing with two younger c h i l d r e n. He SLW an Indian l u r k l n g i n t ~ i ew oods not far avay. ' JJithout tell ill^ the c h i l d r e n he q u i e t l y l e d them to the house i n a way not t o l e t Ihe Indian knoVr t h a t he had seen him. H i s mother, with her c h i l d r e n f l e d i n s a f e t y t o the f o r t. When Henry Regerls s i s t e r , R~ xchel, heard t h a t the Indians were coming she was up i n the l o f t of the llouse reached by a ladder from t h e o u t s i d e. She d i d n o t take tirile to come dovrn the l a d d e r , but jumped to the ground and ' Lit runni~ ig" f o r th2 f o r t. The Cort r e f e r r e d Bushes F o r t , near Buckhannon. It is l i t t l e wonder that the people feared the Indians after the k i l l i n g of Fink, Bush, and others near Buckhannon on previous r a i d s. A t the t i n e of t h i s Indian r a i d David Casto vras a s m a l l boy 1. ivirig n i t h his f a t h e r , George Casto, i n a house j u s t below the road opposite where Isirs, J. M, Allman now l i v e s. George Casto ' A' cerne fro11 MorCi VJales, David Casto rjii~ s the f a t l i e r of George Casto, and the l a t e Captain Cesto, 2nd the l a t e Bivin Casto, and the grandfather of a host of Czstos s e v e r a l of whom a r e mercha. nts, insluding our merchants the C a s t o Brothers, l - r i l l i a n Clark, f a t h e r of Jacob Clark, who ~ ~ t2hes f a t h e r of Tiev, Hyre D. Clark, Id. T. Clark, Iblrs. A, J, Berry, and Mrs. JI S e i - 7 ~ c~ rm le liere from IMarietta, Ohio, and s e t t l e d on B i l l ' s Run, 2nd died t h e r e about the year 1842. H i s n i f e was a iTestfall. Cornelius Girestf~. ll - iJ?, Z the first s e t t l e r on S a u l ' s Run. He was the grandfa,' cher of George 77. A1lma. n and. the l a t e Jacob Tfi. i'illman, Abrarfl A l 1 m. m was the f irst s e t t l e r on one branch of Bridge Run, He W C s the f a t h e r of Isaac IT..4llman and the l a t e Nathan Rllman and Be- veral o t h e r c h i l d r e n. A man n a ~ e d- r i l s o r ~ s ?.; ; tled v: herc Arlns'ie~, df iueen late^ l i v e d and died. Jacob Lorentz, f o r nhon the vili2, ge was named., was born i n Lancaster, Pa,, i n 1776, ard moved to L o r e ~ l t z i n t h e year 1800, and died 66 years l a t e r. In h i s time he was the f i n a n c i a l king of a l l of what is nocr IJpshur and. Lewis Counties. Ile and h i s Sons owned all the land along ' che p i k e fron the J. TI. Allman farm to point beyond the v i l l a g e of Horner, in Lcnis County a distance of 9even o r e i g h t m i l e s , Kc a l s o owned a l a r g e boundary u2 Bridge Run, and over on Buckhannon Run. He owned. the f i r s t s t o r e in the county and a, t f i r s t c a r r i e d h i s goods on pack horses from Riclvliond and Baltimore. He l i v e d i n the f i z s ' ~ painted house i n Lewis and Upshur Counties. H i s house t h a t ; - J~? tso ri1 dovm a feu7 years ago ( where E. 0. ReedeT l i v e s ) Tvas the b e s t house ?! hen it vas b u i l t i n t h e two coun- ties. The inalite!- s vre:; e a wonder of a r t , and come of' them are s t i l l preszrved i n the new house. He was Com. iissioner of the C i r c u i t Court, J u s t i c e of' the ,3ezce, Postmaster ( t h e post 0fFice was e s t a b l i s h e d p r i o r t o the v; ar of 1812), and the owner 02 a blaclcsmit: i shop, o p e r ~ t e db ~ rJ ohn Hacker f o r whom Hacker's G r e ~ k was named, Jacob Lorentz nas the f ~ ~ t h eofr s e v e r z l c h i l d r e n ( h i s ivife being Rebecca S t ~ ~ l n a k z ra) n, 6 h i s numerous descendants r c - found throughout t h i s and 0 t h c~ ou~. n ties. H i s grandson, Lafayetbe Lorentz, i s the o l d e s t or h i s descei? dants l i v i n g i n t h i s ~ 0 ~ 1 u n i t ; ~ dnd l i v e s on a f i n e farm o r i g i n a l l y owned by Jacob Lorentz. It might be of i n t e r e s t t o st2, te t h a t Nrs. Hinzinan, the wife of Our present m i n i s t e r , is e d i r e c t descendant of the n o t ~ ds cout and Indian f i g h t e r , J e s s e Hughes, The f i r s t church was b u i l t on the old church l o t j u s t west cf 3ridge Run, on the Pike, i n the )- eT, r 185' 7, P r i o r t o that time r e l i & i ous services were held at p r i v z t e houses, Jacob Lorentz Cave the church l o t. This church was burned i n 1881 and r e b u i l t Om the same s i t e ill 1884, and the pyesen. t church was b u i l t On Lhe The following rainisi; ers have gone from t h i s ccfix-~ unity; Rev.. - i-> i- cellus l; iclc, 2ev. C. I ,. Qv. cen, 3ev. A. J. Allixan, Rev. Virgil- Allman, and we night almost claim Rev. H. D. Clark, whose father and gra, ndi'a. ther l i v e 6 on B i l l r s Run, but who nas born and r a i s e d j u s t ovey the h i l l on Spruce. It 177ould be d i f f i c u l t to name a l l the school tcachers t h a t hzve conie f r o 3 t h i s com~ i? unity+ Thirty o: more have taught school, Anorlg tlie e z r l ~ rt eachers were Henry Peger, P h i l i ? Krise and MaJissa H ~ ~ ~ p h r e yafst, e rwards tlic wife o f John H. Hoctges and the 1~ 0tllero f the l ~ ~ Ttheom as - d-, H o d - g ~ s. P resident oc the '; Jest V i r - They irere m o s t excell- ent te2, chers and yere thoyough in t h c i r 1-~ orlr, md t h e i r pupils nere a l l 1ve11 grounded i n the e s s e n t i a l branches of s p e l l i n g , w r i t i n g , reading, and a r i t h m e t i c. Thorough-ness was s t r e s s e d in those d- ays. A number oC pelsons have grad-uated from College, I~ ornial, and High schools. Quite 2, n~ mbei- of peogle have gone out from ' chis conlziunity and made good i n a. business vay. Tliomas and Geo C. Alllxan, the C r i t e s boys, the Berry boys, and others could be i~ m- led.. The f i r s t road- s s e r e nere trails. The f i r s t zagon road dis-regnrd. ed grzdcs, alid ren be10171 the pike j u s t in i'r ont of the present church. In 1824 the Virginia Legislaturc authorized t h e b ~ l i l d i n g of a s t a t e rdad and it rdn jinst above tile pikc through 1. J. Ceri- y's l o t and throuth the churcli l o t , si@ lls of vrhich are p e t v l s i b l e. - 2bout the ye; , i- 1843 or 1844 the prcsent pike was b u i l t , known as the Staunton and Parkersburg turrlpike, which is nov: being r e b u i l t ' and hx- d :; ; ; urfaced, Harrison H. Fury, the f a t h e r of IuIrs. G. 11. Allrrlan and : J !: S, Scott Reger helped b u i l l this pikc. ?' he n a t t o c k , s: iovel, and sledge were the only ecjuipnicnt. A d of road was l a i d out f o r each man t o b u i l d. There was no ]- oaf-ing on the job. They did not w o r k ' by the hour but by the day and wa. gea were $ 10.00 per montil. George Allman, Jacob L o r c n L ~ a nd. T ll --. ; , L~-# ~ h a. Ll lo rcntz donated money to help b u i l d t h i s pike. In t h e e a r l y days of t h i s settlement l i v e stock was driven on foot over the mountains and marketed in Richmond and Baltimore. A t o11e tirile Jacob Lorcntz took a drove of 937 hogs to Richmond. The abundant niast, such as cliestnuts and ?, corns, made the reising of hozs prof i. table i n tliose dzys. 1, orentz can boast of h ~ v i i l g the i'irst s t o r ? , the f i r s t Post Gff i c e tile f i r s t blac ksmitk the f i r s t the first painted frame house, thc : i'irst brick house, and the f i r s t road wagon in Upshur County. - P- r- e sent - A- c t i v i t i e s Loi- entz cornn~~~ nhitya ~ nno t only had zn i n t e r e s t i n g past but i t has interestin:; present ?> a+. b ids f a i r t o : lave a b r i g h t - ~ V C I - Y e f f o r t is bcinc..-, 1; _ 7. i. ct o makc it tlric llcoimlunity b e a u t i f u l "". Thc:: e are no old the ge ople iyvork together 2,11d. cooperate in conir9unily a f f c ?. i Y s , and a s p i r i t of unity
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Title	History of Lorentz Community (Upshur County, W. Va.) - Page 1
Transcript	- HI S- TOR- Y OF LORENTZ COIIJNIJNITY (~ pshurC ounty, W, Va.) Prepared By A', J, Marple Published By The Agricultural Extension Division

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