Hans C. Lorenzen is the senior member of the well known firm of Lorenzen Brothers, prominent agriculturists and stock-raisers of San Joaquin county now residing in Tulare township. They have large landed interests and are doing a business which in volume and importance classes them with the leading farmers of this portion of the state.

Hans Christian Lorenzen, the senior member of the firm, was born in Germany on the 26th of January, 1948, and crossed the Atlantic to America in 1872, when twenty-three years of age. For a few months he was a resident of Iowa and then came direct to San Joaquin county, California, where he has made his home continuously since, covering thirty-two years. he was the pioneer settler upon the ranch now owned by the lorenzen Brothers, and they are numbered among the leading and enterprising ranchers of San Joaquin county.

Henry Lorenzen was born in Germany on the 14th of July, 1851, a son of Peter and Catherine (Sass) Lorenzen, both natives of Germany. He was reared in his native country, where he acquired a fair common-school education in his native tongue. He had no material assistance at the outset of his career, but he had been trained to habits of industry and economy, and upon these as a sure foundation he has based his prosperity. He came to America in 1882 when about thirty-one years of age, landing in New York city, where he remained for a few months. The following year he came to California, making his way to San Joaquin county, where he has resided continuously since. For a number of years he has been associated in business with his brother, and the firm are the owners of twenty-one hundred acres of land, which has been practically developed to its present high state of cultivation by them. They make a specialty of the raising of high-grade mules besides other live stock, and their annual sales represent a large figure.

Both of the brothers are Democrats, giving earnest support to the principles of the party. In the fall of 1900 Henry Lorenzen was nominated on the Democratic ticket for the position of county supervisor of San Joaquin county, and, although this is a Republican district, he was defeated by only fifty-one votes, his opponent being Henry B. Knight. He is a public-spirited man, favoring any measure that promotes general progress and has done much valuable service for his community. Henry Lorenzen is a member of Sumner Lodge No. 177, I. O. O. F., at Tracy, California. He is likewise a member of the Tracy Encampment No. 49. Both brothers are well known business men, wide-awake and progressive, readily recognizing and improving opportunities and so conducting their business affairs as to win most gratifying and substantial success.

Source: History of the New California Its Resources and People, Volume II

The Lewis Publishing Company - 1905
Edited by Leigh H. Irvine