Bartholomew-Switzerland County IN Archives Biographies.....Wright, John F. 1830 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 21, 2007, 10:22 pm Author: B. F. Bowen (1904) JOHN F. WRIGHT. John Franklin Wright was born on July 18, 1830, near Vevay, Switzerland county, Indiana, on the Ohio river. His father, Charles Aquith Wright, was born in Maryland. His mother, Laura E. Franklin, was a descendant of Benjamin Franklin and a native of New York state. When the subject of this sketch was six or seven years of age his parents moved to Springfield, Ohio, where he received his primary education. After the death of his father, which occurred when he was eleven years old, his mother, with her four children, moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he received a practical education at the public schools and at White's Academy of that city. Having chosen the medical profession as his vocation in life, he went to Cincinnati and began the study of medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. T. E. Mason, a man of high attainments and scientific ability. After the death of Dr. Mason, his brother, Charles W. Wright, professor of chemistry in the Ohio Medical College, and later in the Kentucky School of Medicine of Louisville, was his preceptor. He graduated from the Ohio Medical College in 1851, and after taking the clinical benefits at the Commercial Hospital of Cincinnati, he went to Paris, France, to finish his surgical education. From Paris he returned to Cincinnati and soon after came to Columbus, Indiana, and began the practice of medicine and surgery in partnership with Dr. Solomon Jackson, who had been a practitioner in Columbus for many years. Dr. Jackson died soon after the partnership was formed, leaving the field to Dr. Wright. When Dr. Wright arrived in Columbus he had but thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents in his pockets, but he received a call within two hours after his arrival and never had an idle day (except when he went fishing) until he retired from active practice a few years ago. He was fortunate enough to secure the surgical practice in Bartholomew and the greater portion of that in the adjoining counties. He did not go to the war, and in consequence had nearly all of the better practice in the way of consultation and surgery in Bartholomew and adjoining counties. But although the Doctor remained at home, he was none the less a stanch Union man, not in sympathy with the "Knights of the Golden Circle," and loyal to the government, and he is known to have paid considerable income tax to Squire John Harris, the collector. He displayed a benevolent spirit by giving medical attention to soldiers' families free of charge, and has-made many pension applications for worthy soldiers without remuneration. But in his general practice he has followed the advice of his preceptor to "give a little less medicine than any one else and charge a little more for your services." The Doctor often tells in his humorous way of the services he rendered his country when he was appointed on a vigilance committee with Colonel Simeon Stansifer and B. B. Jones, whose duty it was to look out for straggling rebels, but more especially to keep Morgan out of town, which he thinks they did most effectually, though there is some doubt as to Morgan's having ever heard of this able and formidable committee. In those days the Doctor was quite an athlete and he has often expressed the opinion that should Morgan, with his army of raiders, have entered Columbus at the critical period, he (the Doctor) would have proven himself the champion of American sprinters, with B. B. Jones trailing him at a 2:40 shot, leaving Colonel Stansifer to face the foe and maintain the dignity of this august committee. It is a well-known fact, however, that upon one occasion during their term of service they came very near arresting one man at the instance of Mr. Jones, who came in breathless haste to the office of Colonel Stansifer, bearing the startling intelligence that there was a very suspicious looking character stopping at the hotel, who, in his opinion, should be apprehended at once. The committee immediately proceeded upon a tour of investigation, but after carefully scrutinizing the suspected individual they decided to defer action until further developments. But alas! how unfortunate their procrastination. They had lost the golden opportunity of their lives, for the next day revealed the fact that the "suspicious looking character" was a Baptist minister on his way to Brown county to fill an appointment, utterly oblivious of the consternation he had created and the hair-breadth escape he had so miraculously made. In 1857 Dr. Wright was married to Adelia Irwin, who died in 1872. On September 1, 1875, he marired [sic] Eugenia Mayfield, daughter of Francis F. and Adelaide Mayfield, of Wirt, Jefferson county, Indiana. The Doctor is a man of sterling integrity, unflinching moral courage and indomitable will. For many years he has been a victim of chronic rheumatism, which he attributes to the extreme exposure and irregularity of his professional life. But while he is a constant sufferer, he never gives up, and his advice to people who are subject to chronic rheumatism is to lead an active life and never become disheartened. He has a cheerful disposition, with a keen sense of humor, and no one enjoys a good story nor can tell a good one better than he. As a benefactor he has few equals, though only his beneficiaries and his nearest friends know of his benevolence. He is a man of unusual mechanical skill—in fact is an artist. He is a draughtsman of no mean ability and a carver in any kind of material. Like "Doc Sifers," he has carved a set of chess men of the finest elephant ivory, which are unsurpassed in America. The Doctor is also an enthusiastic yachtsman, an expert fisherman and a lover of all manly sports. He has designed and built several sailing yachts and. is a good sailor. For the last twenty years: he has spent his summers at Lake Wawasee and these days 'the Doctor counts among the happiest and most restful-of his life. He was-for several years commodore of the Wawasee Yacht Club and the Indiana Yacht and Boating Club of Wawasee. In the regatta of 1896 his yacht "Problem" won the handsome silver trophy offered by Colonel Eli Lilly, of Indianapolis, which he values very highly. He is also a lover of high-bred trotting horses, and is at present the owner of several fine prospects. He is a Mason and spends many pleasant evenings with "the boys" at the chess room in the Masonic Temple. Chess is his favorite game and he is a fairly good player. The Doctor leads a very quiet and regular life, ill health compelling him to retire from society. Additional Comments: Extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY INDIANA INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA ILLUSTRATED 1904 B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/bartholomew/bios/wright730gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 7.3 Kb