Wetzel County, West Virginia Biography of Lewis Edwin LANTZ ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 128 LEWIS EDWIN LANTZ, president of the Bank of Jack- sonburg, a farmer and oil producer, is serving his second term representing Wetzel County in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Part of the Town of Jacksonburg is built on land that was once included in his grandfather's farm. His grand- father was Alexander Lantz, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1793, and established his home at Jacksonburg in 1833, acquiring an extensive home site and operating it as a farm during the remainder of his life. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and died at Jacksonburg in 1875. His wife was Margaret Minor, a native of Pennsylvania, who died at Jacksonburg. Their son, Samuel Lantz, was born De- cember 10, 1824, at the month of Hoovers Run, near Blacks- ville, West Virginia and was nine years of age when his parents moved to the site at Jacksonburg. He was reared and married there, and in his day was regarded as one of the most progressive farmers and stock raisers in this vicinity. He was a democrat in polities, the family faith, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Samuel Lantz died at Jacksonburg March 26, 1920, in his ninety-sixth year. His wife, a Miss McCormick, was born near Blacksville, in Monongalia County, May 22, 1836, and at the age of eighty-five lives with her only surviving child at Jacksonburg. Her older son, Pierson, died in 1882. Lewis Edwin Lantz was born at Jacksonburg, Wetzel County, November 25, 1870. He was educated in common and private schools, lived on his father's farm at the age of twenty, and then for ten years conducted a store near Jacksonburg. He then removed his mercantile business into that town, and is still financially interested in this busi- ness, though his commercial relations are now widely ex- tended. He has much invested capital in the wholesale grocery business at New Martinsville, Wheeling and Clarks- burg. Mr. Lantz has been a successful dealer in livestock and land, and since 1906 has been heavily interested in oil and gas production in the West Virginia fields and in the Bridgeport field of Illinois. He still has some pro- duction, though he sold most of his holdings during the war. He owns a large farm of 600 acres adjoining Jack- sonburg. The Bank of Jacksonburg was organized in Jan- uary, 1904, and he has been its president from the begin- ning. Mr. Lantz has for many years been a leader in his sec- tion of the state in the democratic party, has served as chairman of the County Executive Committee and as a member of the State Executive Committee. In November, 1918, he was elected to the House of Delegates and re- elected in 1920. During the 1919 session he was a member of the committees on roads, fish and game, banks and bank- ing, military affairs, and was again placed on the same com- mittees in 1921. A subject that he regards as of primary importance and to which he has given study for a number of years and much attention while in the Legislature is good roads. He is a prominent Mason, both in the York and Scottish Rite, being affiliated with Wetzel Lodge No. 39, F. and A. M., at New Martinsville; Sistersville Chapter No. 27, R. A. M.; Mountain State Commandery No. 14, K. T.; West Virginia Consistory of the Scottish Bite at Wheeling; and Osiris Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Wheeling. Mr. Lantz was one of the men who really neglected business to devote their time and influence to aiding the Govern- ment in the successful prosecution of the war. He was as- sociated with every drive made in Wetzel County for sale of Liberty Bonds, raising of funds for Red Cross and other organizations, and helped many of the recruits fill out their questionnaires. June 17, 1893, at Jacksonburg, Mr. Lantz married Miss Violet Morgan, daughter of Elisha and Elizabeth (Ander- son) Morgan. Mrs. Lantz is a member of the historic Morgan family that originally settled at Morgantown. Her mother still lives at Jacksonburg, and her father, a farmer, died there. Mr. and Mrs. Lantz have reared an interest- ing family of children: Florence, born December 24, 1894, is the wife of Capt. Roy F. Miller, both graduates of West Virginia University. Captain Miller served with that rank in the World war as an instructor at Camp Meade and was recommended for the rank of major when the armis- tice was signed. He is now minister of the Presbyterian Church at Cochranton, Pennsylvania. Bryan Pierson, the second child, born June 4, 1897, finished his education in the Staunton Military Academy at Staunton, Virginia, and is an oil well driller in Oklahoma. Phyllis, born in 1899, is a graduate of the Visitation Academy at Parkersburg, spent two terms in West Virginia University and is a book- keeper in the Bank of Jacksonburg. Margaret, born in 1901, and Ruth, born in 1903, live with their sister at Cochranton, Pennsylvania, where they are seniors in the Cochranton High School. Pearl, born in 1906, is in the sophomore class of the Jacksonburg High School, and the two younger children are Lewis Edwin, Jr., born in 1911, and Harry Lee, born in 1913.