William Lorenzen (1844-1910+) was an 1868 immigrant from Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.  He was the son of Henry Lorenzen and Dorothy Nypp.  On July 20, 1872 at Nativity B.V.M. in Biloxi, William married Katherine Sage (1845-1909), the daughter of Patrick Sage and Mary Nail.  Katherine was born in Ireland and came to America in 1867.   They had no children.(Lepre, 1991, p. 201)

In 1880, William Lorenzen made his livelihood as a blacksmith.   By the 1890s, he was in competition with local teamster, Jeremiah J. O’Keefe (1859-1911), in the drayage business.  Mr. Lorenzen advertised in the 1893 Ocean Springs Business Directory as:

C.E. Schmidt relates in Ocean Springs French Beachhead, from his youth that he remembered William Lorenzen as follows: “When he was old and his old horse Billy jogged along as best he could, we could still hear his gentle prodding: Hump Billy-Hump Billy”.(Schmidt, 1984, p. 109)

            In the 1890s, William Lorenzen was an active member of Ocean Springs Fire Company No. 1.  He served as treasurer.(Ellison, 1991, p. 105)

            In 1900, Mr. Lorenzen’s nephew, Wilhelm Derickmann (1881-1900+), a 1900 German immigrant was residing with him.  He was employed as a bookkeeper in a dry goods store.

Lorenzen cottage

The Lorenzen cottage was situated in the S/2 of Lot 15-Block 34 (Culmseig Map-1854) on the NW/C of Washington Avenue and Calhoun.  For $100, Mr. Lorenzen acquired Lot 15-Block 34 from John Shanahan (1810-1892) and Maria Torney Shanahan (1826-1909) in March 1871.  The Shanahan’s operated a large inn directly across the street in what is now Little Children’s Park, the February 1959, 1.84 acre donation of Neely Powers (1890-1983) and spouse Katherine Crane Powers (1891-1961).(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 9, pp. 251-252)

William Lorenzen sold his Washington Avenue residence to G.E. Arndt (1857-1945) in December 1903, for $450.(JXCO, Ms. Land Deed Bk. 27, p. 296)

            Katherine S. Lorenzen expired at Ocean Springs on January 19, 1909.  Her corporal remains were interred in the Evergreen Cemetery.  Mr. Lorenzen’s expired before 1920.(The Ocean Springs News, January 23, 1909, p. 1)