Biography of Henry Wrape, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 186

Henry Wrape, manufacturer of light barrel staves, at Paragould, was born in Jennings
County, Ind., January 15, 1850, and is the son of Henry, Sr., and Ann (Bible) Wrape,
the father a native of Ireland, and the mother of New York State. Henry Wrape, Sr.,
emigrated from the Emerald Isle when a boy, locating for a while in New York State,
and went from there in 1850 to Jennings County, Ind. He became a large railroad
contractor, and was on the I. M. R.. R., and on several other noted railroads. Both
parents died in Indiana. They had four children: John, Robert, Kate, wife of Able T.
Morgan, and Henry, who is the youngest of the family. The latter was reared and
educated in Indiana, at Notre Dame, the renowned Catholic school. He assisted his
brother on the farm until sixteen years of age, when he engaged in merchandising at
North Vernon, Ind., and this continued for one year. He then took a trip to South
America, stopping at Buenos Ayres to settle up the estate of an uncle. He was absent
about eighteen months, and on his return engaged in the stone-quarry business at
North Vernon, which he followed for five years. In 1882 he came to Greene County,
Ark, and embarked in his present business, which he has since continued. He has a
large factory, and employs about fifty men. He makes a good stave, and turns out
about 5,000,000 per year. He is president of the Paragould & Buffalo Island Railroad,
which was built in 1888, and which extends to the St. Francis River. Mr. Wraps is one
of the prosperous and public spirited men of Paragould. He was married in 1885 to
Miss Emma Davis, a native of Indiana, and to them have been born two children: Harold
and Emma. Mr. and Mrs. Wraps are members of the Catholic Church. He is the owner of
4,000 acres of land in Missouri, and a number of acres in this county.