WRIGHT, Hiram C.
Hiram C. WRIGHT, a pioneer of Marshall and
Putnam counties, Illinois, is now living a retired life in
Henry, where his familiar figure, white hair and beard are known
by every man, woman and child for miles around. He is a native
of Canada, born at Morris Hollow, about fourteen miles north of
Toronto, May 4, 1819, and is a son of William and Sophia
(CLEVELAND) WRIGHT, both of whom were natives of New York, from
which state they emigrated to Canada and were there married.
When Hiram was but eight years of age they determined to
emigrate to Illinois, and, with their family of three
children, located in Tazewell county. William WRIGHT was a
tanner and currier by trade, and followed that occupation in his
native state and in Canada, but on coming to Illinois engaged in farming. He remained in
Tazewell county but one year and then removed to
Peoria
county, three miles west of the present
village
of Chillicothe,
locating on La Salle prairie, which was his permanent home during the
remainder of his life. He died at the age of fifty-six years. He
was a man of limited means and made the journey by team from
Canada, accompanied by the family of his
wife’s father, who also located near him in Peoria county. His wife
survived him some years, dying when about seventy years old. Of
their four children, two are now li8ving, our subject and his
sister, Harriet, who also resides in Henry. One daughter died in
Indiana, while en route to
Illinois. One son, William, grew to
manhood in Peoria
county, where he engaged in framing, but has since died.
The subject of this sketch remained under
the parental roof until nineteen years of age, and in common
with all farmer boys, attended school during the winter months
and assisted in farm work other seasons of the year. The lead
mines in the vicinity of Galena, and which extended across the line into Wisconsin, in early days
afforded about the only place where employment could be secured
and wages paid in cash. Thousands of men in
Illinois, Iowa and
Missouri
from 1832 until well in the 40s annually made pilgrimages to the
mines that they might secure money for taxes and for such things
as could not be had by barter. Young Hiram, at the age
mentioned, thought it was time for him to handle a little of the
“filthy lucre” there to be had by those industriously inclined,
and so went to Mineral
Point,
Wisconsin, and for several years
engaged in mining and in farm work. Returning to Illinois, he made a claim on Senachwine lake,
in Putnam county, about six miles west of Hennepin. This claim
consisted of three hundred acres of good land, on which he
removed in 1844, and at once commenced its improvement. His
capital being limited he could not at once improve the entire
claim, but did so as rapidly as his means would permit. The
management of a farm, without the aid of a “gude wife” has ever
been found to be difficult work, and our subject realized this
in due time; accordingly we find that on the 27th of October,
1847, he was united in marriage with Miss Sophia HUNTER, a
native of Cortland county, New York, born October 25, 1828, and
a daughter of Andrew and Huldah HUNTER. Soon after this event
occurred he removed to Boyd’s Grove, Bureau county, near the
home of his wife’s father, where he purchased an improved farm
of one hundred and sixty acres and there remained six years. He
then returned to his original farm on the Senachwine, and
actively engaged in general farming until his removal to Henry,
shortly before the commencement of the civil war. For some years
after his removal to the village he retained possession of the
farm, but finally sold. He yet, however, still owns the Boyd
Grove farm, which he leases. In addition to his farming
interests he has made some investments in the west, but at
present has only such interests as will prevent his rusting out.
After a happy married life of forty-six
years, Mrs. WRIGHT departed this life February 23, 1893. She was
a quite, unassuming woman, caring but little for the vanities of
this world. For some years she was a member of the Christian
church, but on removal to Henry she united with the Presbyterian
body, there being no church of her choice in the village. Tow
daughters came to bless their union, one dying in childhood. The
other, Clarissa, is now the wife of Dr. F. A. POWELL, a druggist
of Henry. They also adopted a boy, Walter SMITH, who died after
being an inmate of their home for three years and a half.
On the 25th of June, 1894, Mr. WRIGHT
married Miss Ruth McKINNEY, of Henry, a native of Putnam county, Illinois. Her father,
Joel McKINNEY, was a native of Indiana,
and there married Miss Emeline JACKSON, a native of
Oxford
county, Maine, who removed with
her parents to
Indiana when
but fifteen years of age. From Warsaw, Dearborn county, Indiana, Joel,
McKINNEY
moved to Putnam county,
Illinois, in 1842. He died in
Tennessee in 1880, and his widow now makes her home
with Mrs. WRIGHT, who is her only child, now living in
Marshall
county. Of her five children, three sons and two daughters, all
are scattered, living in various places, from
Illinois to Oregon. For some years
prior to her marriage, Mrs. WRIGHT was an active business woman
in Henry, and is well known and universally esteemed. She is a
devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. WRIGHT is
not a member of any church, but usually attends and contributes
to the Presbyterian church. In politics he is a thorough, out
and out republican.
Extracted March 2011 by Norma Hass from
The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois,
1896.
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