My Genealogy Hound

FREDERICK RUDOLPH JOACHIM LORENZ (deceased) was born June 10, 1794, in Disellbruch Frerstenthum, Lippe-Detmold, Germany; he came to this country about the year 1809 a poor boy, and first engaged work in a sugar-house in New York city, but soon after came to Pittsburgh, and learned glassblowing, August 16, 1821, he was married to Catharine Ihmsen, of Birmingham, this county, who was born in Frederick county, Md., Nov. 25, 1803, and to this union there were born five sons and nine daughters, three of the latter of whom died in childhood. The sons were William C., Frederick R., Moses A., Charles H. and Michael A. (all deceased). All of them were business men in Pittsburgh and vicinity. William C. married, Dec. 25, 1845, Mary E. Smith (now Mrs. William M. Grace). The daughters were Phebe (wife of Pascal P. Pratt, of Buffalo, N. Y.), Mary (wife of E. P. Beals, Buffalo, N. Y.). Annie (wife of B. F. Fox, Springfield, Ill.), Frances B. (wife of W. H. Gregg, Philadelphia, Pa.), Louisa (deceased), Sidney (deceased), and three others who died in childhood. F. R. Lorenz, the father, died Oct. 25, 1854, and his widow May 19, 1868. Mr. Lorenz, as early as 1818, bought the O’Hara Glass-works, and some time after purchased the Edward Encil Glass-works, at present owned by Mr. Culley; about 1836 he built the rolling-mill now owned by J. Painter & Sons, and established the firm of Lorenz & Cuddy, afterward Lorenz, Sterling & Co., and still later Lorenz, Zug, Linsey & Co. At the time of his decease he was building the rolling-mill at Girty’s run. He was prominent among the projectors of the Pennsylvania & Ohio railway; was for many years an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh. It is said of him that his characteristics were well expressed by the words integrity and energy. His educational advantages in early life were excellent. Coming to America when the people of this country were just beginning to make some progress in manufacturing, and thus free themselves from the necessity of buying foreign wares, he bent all his energies in that direction, and soon became an acknowledged leader among the manufacturers of his day. Having early in life acquired a thirst for knowledge, he never relaxed his efforts for its acquisition, and in his latter years he was distinguished for his literary ability and fine conversational powers.