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Pioneer Families -
Lorenz Krieger
A. W. Cissel
Despite all the words
that would later be
written about the
Creager (Krieger)
family. It is ironic
and not a little
frustrating to have so
little information
about the man who
actually laid out and
sold the lots in the
place he called the
"Town of Merchants."
John Creager was the
second generation to
own this land;
fortunately we know
more about the
original owner, his
father - the pioneer
settler, Lorenz
Krieger.
1. (Johna_ Lorenz
Krieger (1715-1784)
was born at Elsoff,
Beddelhausen,
Wittgenstein
(Westphalia, Prussia).
He emigrated to
America in 1738
arriving at
Philadelphia on the
ship "Saint Andrew."
In 1741 he married
Mary Elizabeth Hahn
and was living a few
miles from York, PA
where his two eldest
children were born.
The Moravian records
recite that he came to
Frederick County in
1747, however we now
know that he had
received a certificate
to survey and patent
land in the county in
1744. The 375 acres he
laid out adjoined that
section of the
north-south "wagon
road" now known as
Apples Church Road. He
called his land "Creager's
Delight." In 1761
Lorenz Krieger "in
Manokosy," farmer was
naturalized, along
with fellow Moravian
Leonard Moser.
The bulk of the land
that would make up
later Thurmont was
added to Lorenz*
holdings in 1764 when
he claimed the vacant
land all around his
farm, Including the
original "Creager's
Delight" his resurvey
totaled 866 acres,
stretching west to the
foot of the mountain
and south to the
present Moser Road. He
named this whole tract
"Stoney Corner." His
will written in 1781,
divided "Stoney
Corner" between his
sons John and
Lawrence, Jr. His
daughters (two of whom
had married into the
Moravian Weller
family), received
other lands during his
lifetime. Lawrence
Creager died in 1784
and is buried at
Graceham.
2. John Creager (ca.
1746-1822) was named
the eldest son in his
father’s Will. Since
John was probably born
in Pennsylvania and
never associated with
the Moravian church,
basic information is
sparse. We know that
with his wife
Elizabeth, he had a
son Henry and three
daughters. But in his
Will of 1821 he also
names Margaret as the
mother of his son John
Creager, Jr., she is
not named as wife, so
John Jr. is possibly
illegitimate. Nothing
further is known of
this son: son Henry
Creager dies in Ohio
in 1869.
John, Senior, son of
Lawrence, took the
400-plus acres of "Stoney
Corner" he had
inherited from his
father and added
nearby acreage by
claim or purchase.
Around 1803 he laid
out 50 lots along both
sides of the Baltimore
to Hagerstown Road
(now Main Street) and
along the road to
Frederick (now Water
Street/Church Street).
The name he gave his
new town reflects the
presence there already
of a settlement
composed of saw and
hemp mills, blacksmith
shops, wagon-maker and
(possible) a
distillery. These
industries were
located along the
banks of Hunting
Creek, just south and
west of his lots. The
lots in the new town
could be purchased as
quarter or half-acre
sizes, priced from $13
to $30. Elizabeth
Creager as wife,
agreed to or
acknowledged on the
sale of lots on deed
only between 1805 and
1809. Her maiden name
or place of burial is
not known.
John was forced to
mortgage his lands and
by 1821 his creditors
demanded that enough
lands be sold to pay
off his debts. John
died in 1822, but the
1825 Tax Assessments
showed that "John
Creager's Heirs" still
owned lots #3 and #48
and #21 others not
known." There was only
31/2 acres left of his
share of "Resurvey on
Stoney Corner."
No gravestone has been
found for John Creager,
so perhaps a more
visible, lasting
monument is the town
he established, which
today we call
Thurmont.
Do you
know of an individual who helped shape Thurmont?
If so, send their story to us at:
history@mythurmont.net
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