HISTORY OF LORENTZ COMMUNITY By A. J. Marple 1923 Early History The settlement of this community dates back to the eighteenth century. It was originally a part of Harrison County, became a part of Lewis County in 1816, and of Upshur County in 1851. The early pioneers were the Allmans, Castos, Regers, Westfalls, Lorentzes, Clarks, and others. They were maily of Dutch descent, and were an honest, sturdy, hardy, industrious, frugal people, and have transmitted these qualities to their descendants in a marked degree. On the twenty-fourth day of April, 1805, a patent was issued by Governor Page for 200 acres of land on a Land Office Warrant dated December 24, 1783, to William Allman, the grandfather of George W. Allman, the late J. M. Allman and the late Nathan Allman. So we can take the date of 1783 as the time of William Allman's settling on the farm on which he and his son George and grandson Jacob M. lived and died, and on which Dane and Ada Allman and Mrs. J. M. Allman now live. William Allman came from the South Branch of the Potomac, and was of Dutch descent. His numerous descendants now live in this and other communities. The Regers were among the early settlers. About the year 1765 Jacob Reger came to America from Holland. In 1776 he made a location at what is now known as Volga in Barbour County. His wife was Barbara Crites and to them were born six sons and five daughters, and their descendants throughout this and adjoining counties are a legion. Anthony Reger, the oldest son of Jacob Reger, settled on the farm on which Mrs. Martin Reger and Blaine Zickefoose live. A Land Warrant for 243 acres of land dated January 15, 1802, and a patent for the same was issued by John Tyler, Governor of Virginia, on the first of August, 1809 to Anthony Reger and his sons, Henry and Saul, and daughter, Rachel. Afterward Henry became the owner and still later his son Martin, and at his death, his widow and daughter, Mrs. Lura Zickefoose, inherited this farm. John Reger, a brother of Anthony, married Elizabeth West. He was described as "standing 6 feet 2 inches in his sock feet, massive in person, huge body, a great head, stalwart arms, a big heart, brave, and of prodigious strength." Stories are told of the great physical feats he performed. He walked to Winchester and back so that "his little Bettie" might have a store gown in which to be married. Another brother was Justice of the Peace for 40 years. His sister Annie married Captain John Bozarth (commonly called Bozier), and his sister Mary married George Bozarth. John Bozarth, Sr., settled at Lorentz. His cabin was just across the railroad from the Allman house now occupied by E. O. Reeder. Here was the scene of the tragedy during the Indian foray in 1795. It was harvest time. John Bozarth, Sr., and his son George, were hauling wheat to the stable when they heard screams at the house. They ran toward the house, and George being the younger, although he weighed over 300 pounds, outran his father, and as he ran around a hog pen he came face to face with an Indian with a gun drawn ready to shoot. George fell to the ground just as the gun was fired, and the Indian, thinking that he had killed George, turned his attention to John, Sr., who ran down the bottom and jumped Finks Run. The Indian, in attempting to follow, fell in the run, gave a savage "Uh," threw his tomahawk at Bozarth and gave up the chase. George's wife, Mary (Reger), was washing clothes at the run and hearing the commotion and suspecting the cause, took to the woods and made her way safely to the fort, as did her husband, who promptly got up when the Indian chased his father. The Indians killed a crippled boy and three small children, and took Mrs. Bozarth and two boys prisoners, who were afterward released when a treaty of peace was made. One of the boys named Zed, was simple- minded, but was a strong, muscular boy. On arrival at the Indian village the Indians as usual required their prisoners to run the gauntlet to the House of Refuge. As Zed was a boy they had the Indian boys chase him, but Zed resented their beatings and turned and knocked down the first boy that struck him, greatly to the amusement of the Indians. At one time, Isaac Reger, the youngest brother of Anthony, came to visit his sister, Mary, who married George Bozarth. In the evening about milking time a boy was sent across the run into the woods on the hillside opposite the house to bring the cows. All at once they heard the boy scream. The two bear dogs at once ran for the boy. The men grabbed their guns and upon going to the boy, found that the dogs had treed a panther that had unexpectedly appeared on top of a fallen tree, threatening to jump on the boy. The panther was shot. So you see that the early settlers were endangered not only by wild men, but by wild beasts as well. During the same Indian raid, Nicholas Ours, Sr., (whose father, Sichman Ours, a Revolutionary soldier, settled here in 1794,who was the grandfather of the late H. F. Ours, ex-sheriff of Upshur County, lived on Bill's Run. He was a lad of 10 or 12 years and was out in the woods playing with two younger children. He saw an Indian lurking in the woods not far away. Without telling the children he quietly led them to the house in a way not to let the Indian know that he had seen him. His mother, with her children fled in safety to the fort. When Henry Reger's sister, Rachel, heard that the Indians were coming she was up in the loft of the house reached by a ladder from the outside. She did not take time to come down the ladder, but jumped to the ground and "Lit running" for the fort. The fort referred to was Bushes' Fort, near Buckhannon. it is little wonder that the people feared the Indians after the killing of Fink, Bush, and others near Buckhannon on previous raids. At the time of this Indian raid David Casto was a small boy living with his father, George Casto, in a house just below the road opposite where Mrs. J. M. Allman now lives. George Casto came from North Wales. David Casto was the father of George Casto, and the late Captain Casto, and the late Bivin Casto, and the grandfather of a host of Castos several of whom are merchants, including our merchants the Casto Brothers, William Clark, father of Jacob Clark, who was the father of Rev. Hyre D. Clark, M. T. Clark, Mrs. A. J. Berry, and Mrs. J. T. Berry, came here from Marietta, Ohio, and settled on Bill's Run, and died there about the year 1842. His wife was a Westfall. Cornelius Westfall was the first settler on Saul's Run. He was the grandfather of George W. Allman and the late Jacob M. Allman. Abram Allman was the first settler on one branch of Bridge Run. He was the father of Isaac M. Allman and the late Nathan Allman and several other children. A man named Wilson settled where Armstead Queen later lived and died. Jacob Lorentz, for whom the village was named, was born in Lancaster, Pa., in 1776, and moved to Lorentz in the year 1800, and died 66 years later. In his time he was the financial king of all of what is now Upshur and Lewis Counties. He and his sons owned all the land along the pike from the J. M. Allman farm to a point beyond the village of Horner, in Lewis County a distance of seven or eight miles. He also owned a large boundary up Bridge Run, and over on Buckhannon Run. He owned the f irst store in the county and at first carried his goods on pack horses from Richmond and Baltimore. He lived in the first painted house in Lewis and Upshur Counties. His house that was torn down a few years ago (where E. O. Reeder lives) was the best house when it was built in the two counties. The mantels were a wonder of art, and some of them are still preserved in the new house. He was Commissioner of the Circuit Court, Justice of the Peace, Postmaster (the post office was established prior to the War of 1812), and the owner of a blacksmith shop, operated by John Hacker for whom Hacker's Creek was named. Jacob Lorentz was the father of several children (his wife being Rebecca Stalnaker), and his numerous descendants re- found throughout this and other counties. His grandson, Lafayette Lorentz, is the oldest of his descendants living in this community and lives on a fine farm originally owned by Jacob Lorentz. It might be of interest to state that Mrs. Hinzman, the wife of our present minister, is a direct descendant of the noted scout and Indian fighter, Jesse Hughes. The first church was built on the old church lot just west of Bridge Run,on the Pike, in the year 1857. Prior to that time religious services were held at private houses. Jacob Lorentz gave the church lot. This church was burned in 1881 and rebuilt on the same site in 1884, and the present church was built on the new site in 191__? MP church at Lorentz The following ministers have gone from this community; Rev. Marcellus Mick, Rev. C. L. Queen, Rev. A. J. Allman, Rev. Virgil Allman, and we might almost claim Rev. H. D. Clark, whose father and grandfather lived on Bill's Run, but who was born and raised just over the hill on Spruce. It would be difficult to name all the school teachers that have come from this community: Thirty or more have taught school. Among the early teachers were Henry Reger, Philip Krise and Malissa Humphreys, afterwards the wife of John H. Hodges and the mother of the late Thomas E. Hodges. President of the West Virginia University. They were most excellent teachers and were thorough in their work, and their pupils were all well grounded in the essential branches of spelling, writing, reading, and arithmetic. Thoroughness was stressed in those days. A number of persons have graduated from College, Normal, and High schools. Quite a number of people have gone out from this community and made good in a business way. Thomas and Geo. C. Allman, the Crites boys, the Berry boys, and others could be named. The first roads were mere trails. The first wagon road disregarded grades, and ran below the pike just in front of the Present church. In 1824 the Virginia Legislature authorized the building of a state road and it ran just above the pike through A. J. Berry's lot and through the church lot, signs of which are yet visible. About the year 1843 or 1844 the present pike was built, known as the Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike, which is now being rebuilt and hard surfaced. Harrison H. Fury, the father of Mrs. G. W. Allman and Mrs. Scott Reger helped build this pike. The mattock, shovel, and sledge were the only equipment. A rod of road was laid out for each man to build. There was no loafing on the job. They did not work by the hour but by the day and wages were $10.00 per month. George Allman, Jacob Lorentz and Marshall Lorentz donated money to help build this pike. In the early days of this settlement live stock was driven on foot over the mountains and marketed in Richmond and Baltimore. At one time Jacob Lorentz took a drove of 937 hogs to Richmond. The abundant mast, such as chestnuts and acorns, made the raising of hogs profitable in those days. Lorentz can boast of having the first store, the first Post Office the first blacksmith shop, the first tannery, the first painted frame house, the first brick house, and the first road wagon in Upshur County.