My Genealogy Hound

W. L. Wright. Not without justice, Mr. Wright is conceded to hold a representative position among the prominent and successful agriculturists of Poinsett County, for he started out in life for himself at the age of twenty-one years with no means, and is now the owner of 240 acres, with about thirty-five acres under the plow. He was born near Helena, Ark., in 1848, and his youth was spent in assisting on the home farm and in attending the public schools of St. Francis County. He removed to Illinois with his parents, but returned to Crittenden County, and was married here November 15, 1869, his wife being Miss Arena Johnson, a native of that county. After raising four crops in Crittenden County, he, in 1872, went to Macoupin County, Ill., and after taking charge of his father’s farm for three years he settled in Mississippi County, and engaged in farming. In the month of March, 1880, he came to Poinsett County, Ark., and first purchased a farm of forty acres. This he sold at a later period, and bought eighty acres, and has added to it until he now has 240 acres, as stated above. He is a Democrat in his political views, and for the past eight years has given his attention to pastoral work, he being a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. He has three charges in Mississippi County, one at Frenchman’s Bayou, one at Cross Bayou, and the other at New Hope. Last year he was pastor of a church at Philadelphia, Crittenden County. He is a public-spirited citizen, and is deeply interested in the cause of education, having given his children such advantages as he could afford. Their names are: Clara Idella, Mattison McMullen, Maud Jane, Bedford Whitfield and Milton Edward. Mr. Wright has noticed many changes for the better since locating in this vicinity, and, judging from a moral and Christian standpoint, the county is rapidly improving. Mr. Wright numbers the fifth of his parents’ nine children. Both his father and mother, W. I. and Jane (Gazell) Wright, were born in Kentucky, were married there, and in 1845 removed to Arkansas, and up to the year 1853 the father was a Baptist minister of Phillips County. At the latter date he removed to St. Francis County, but returned to the former county in 1861, remaining two years. From that time until 1867 he resided on a farm in Poinsett County, and his next move was to Macoupin County, Ill., and after living in the town of Girard for three years he purchased a farm, on which he resided until his death, in February, 1875. His wife still survives him, and is now a Mrs. Sims, whose residence is in Raymond, Ill.