Biography of Hezekiah B Wright, Greene Co, AR

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Submitted by: Michael Brown
        Date: 5 Sep 1998
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northeast Arkansas

page 187

Hezekiah B. Wright. In reviewing the various business interests of Greene
County, Ark., the name of Wright is found to be one of the most prominent, especially
in connection with farming and merchandising. Mr. Wright was born in Hickman County,
Tenn., in 1829, and there made his home until 1850, when he came to Arkansas, having
commenced the battle of life at the age of eighteen years. Two years later he located
on his present farm, and has about 250 acres of land in an excellent state of
cultivation, besides several other tracts, all of which he has earned by energy and
good judgment. He is also engaged in general merchandising at Gainesville, the style
of the firm being H. B. Wright & Co., and they are enjoying a prosperous trade, owing
to their thorough knowledge of the details of the business and the wants of the
public, combined with honorable dealing, Mr. Wright was married to Mrs. Martha J.
(Stares) Perry, who died in 1863, having borne two children by Mr. Wright: William J.
and John N. (twins); and one child by her first husband, Mr. Perry; Mary, the wife of
H. C. Sharer, of Wright County, Mo. Mr. Wright took for his second wife [p.187] Mrs.
Permelia E. (Ward) Wood, widow of C. Wood. Their union has resulted in the birth of
eight children: Joseph D., Franklin C., Alvin T., Emma M., Anna A., Revis and
Hezekiah B. Addie J. died when two years and nine months old. Mr. and Mrs. Wright are
members of the Missionary Baptist Church, to which their children, Joseph, Frank and
Emma, also belong. Mr. Wright is a Royal Arch Mason, and in his political views is a
Democrat; he was elected county coroner on that ticket in 1858, and held the position
until the breaking out of the late Civil War. He is a strong advocate of and a
liberal contributor to schools and churches. He is the only surviving member of a
family of three children (Thompson and Rebecca being the other two) born to John and
Sarah (Barr) Wright, who were natives of South Carolina and Kentucky, respectively.
When a small boy the father was taken by his parents to Tennessee, and resided first
in Robertson County, then in Hickman County, where he attained his majority, and
where his father died at an advanced age. He was the eldest child, and in 1849 moved
to Arkansas, and died in Greene County, in 1867, at the age of sixty-five years, his
wife dying in 1851, aged about forty-seven years.