Lorenzo was organized in 1911 by the C.B. Livestock Company. It was first named San Lorenzo, but because of other post offices so named, had to drop the San. It was named for Lorenzo Dow, who worked for the C.B. Livestock Company. The town section upon which Lorenzo was located formerly was owned by K. Carter, whose home was near where the Santa Fe water tank now stands. K. and George Carter owned and operated a small ranch in the vicinity. They traded their ranch for mercantile interest in Lubbock.

L.B. Culwell came into possession of the Carter land and he in turn sold it to the C.B. Livestock Company for a townsite, with Julian Bassett as manager. H.E. Smith surveyed out the town. They offered lots and the cost of moving all houses to Lorenzo as inducements to come to the town. H.E. Smith proved to be a real promoter. He built a house and an office on the ground, and succeeded marvelously in building the town. So Lorenzo grew from a windmill and a tank. Jim Pearson, brother of Clabe and Foster, built the first house on the townsite. The first house to be moved to Lorenzo was the house of the Cartwrights.

 

Their daughter, Mrs. McGuire, became the first postmistress in 1911, which office she held until 1920, when Mrs. Hoople acted as postmistress for a year under personal bond before receiving her commission from the Government. John Dollard, Tommy Easter and N.L. Green were her bondsmen. She then was commissioned and served until July 1, 1933. Louisa Laird has served as postmaster at Lorenzo since then.

 

The Townsite Company put the Hoople house at Estacado on moving trucks, when it rained and the moving date was postponed, so the family had to live in the hoisted house for several days before they could proceed to Lorenzo. Soon after they had pulled the house out on the road it began to snow; finally they bogged down in a lake outside the townsite, where the house took another rest hiked up on the timbers.

 

In 1914 with Smith's urgency the farmers around the new town agreed to plant some cotton if the promoters would guarantee them a gin. Smith got busy and got Arthur Kelsey to build a gin. The first cotton to be ginned at the time was in the experimental stage. However it so happens that the town of Lorenzo is located in the heart of the cotton framing belt of Crosby County and in an irrigated section. Now its four gins never stop during the ginning season.

Polk and Erdy Smallin put in the first general store in Lorenzo. Henry Smyer soon acquired it from them and ran it for several years.

 

The first to be placed in the new cemetery was the body of a young child at the station house who died from whooping cough.

 

McAdams put in the first lumber yard and Fred Maxey, a young man from Falls county ran it. He would go to the train and get the mail, carry it to the lumber yard office, and everybody came and picked it up for themselves. Jim Pearson ran the boarding house.

The first school was taught on Main Street in a small wood building by Miss Viola Ellison of Crosbyton.

 

Miss Lura Smyer was the town's first bride. She married Fred Maxey in 1911.

 

Dr. Harrison just out of medical school opened up the first drugstore. Tom Smith was a hog and cow buyer, H.C. Pearson, Feed and Seed; John Dillard and Bunch Fullingim put in a dry goods store and so did J.J. Jennings. O'Rear was an early day groceryman. The Harvest Queen elevator took care of the grain. Woodard had a hardware and in 1915 Dr. Laird arrived and traveled around to see his patients in a buggy. Later he went in a Stanley Steamer when he could get his boys to drive, for every time the car stalled the steam went down and he could not get started again.

 

Village of Lorenzo grew and became incorporated April 1, 1924. City officers elected 4-28-1924. W.R. Seltzer received 78 votes for office of Mayor. T.G. Hendrick, Sr. received 59, W.P. Fullingim 2 and H. Wampler 2. Aldermen elected were Emzy Pierett, W.M. Blakemore, J.A. Dillard, W.P. Fullingim and H.C. Pearson. J.H. Welch was elected to the office of City Marshall. N.E. Smallin was appointed Clerk, and Dr. J.T. Crawford, City Health Officer.

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Mayors of Lorenzo

1924-1925 W.R. Seltzer
1925-1926 W.W. Anderson
1926-1927 T.G. Hendrick, Sr.
1927-1928 H.S. Smyer
1928-1932 A.C. Woodward
1932-1936 H. Wampler
1936-1938 Joe Schuler
1938-1944 Fred Robb
1944-1948 Roy J. Terrell
1948-1952 O. H. Kemp
1952-1956 James O'Rear
1956-1958 A. W. Lott

1958-1960 Leon Keene
1960-1968 J. R. Petersen
1968-1970 Walter E. Brown
1970-1973 E. B. Fullingim
1973-1976 Tommy McGee
1976-1980 Joe E. Darden
1980-1984 Edward S. Smith
1984-1986 Don C. Nickson
1986-1990 William H. Nelson
1990-1995 Tommy Fondren
1995-Present Lester C. Bownds

City Clerks

Jean Horn

Mauna Moore

Trish Chavez

Dorothy Bristow

Marissa Davis

Toni Longoria

Police Chiefs

Bill Jones

Ronald Jenkins

S. E. Braly

Aaron Arthur

Larry Whittaker

Robert Bybee