Wade A. Wright, Winn Parish, Louisiana Contributed by Greggory E. Davies 120 Ted Price Lane Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Wade A. Wright Wade A. Wright is a prominent young business man at Winnfield and is also chairman of the Winn Parish Democratic Executive Committee. He is one of a notable family that has played a conspicuous part in the business and public life of this parish for three generations. He bears the honored name of his grandfather, Wade A. Wright, who came from Georgia and was a pioneer in this section of Louisiana. He located on the Harrisonburg Road, his home being in Winn Parish and his barn in Grant Parish. His place was on a main traveled thoroughfare, over which passed thousands of settlers on the way to Texas and further western points and for a number of years it was the trail of the covered wagon. Wade A. Wright married Mary Ann Woodruff. They lived in Louisiana in the days of the wilderness when game of all kinds abounded and it was possible in a single night of fire hunting to kill seven or eight deer. Wade A. Wright entered the Confederate Army when the war broke out between the states and was present at the siege of Vicksburg. He conducted a mercantile store at his home and was thrifty and prosperous. He was a member of the Masonic Order and he died at the age of fifty years. His widow, an active worker in the Baptist Church, survived him until July, 1924, passing away in her eighty-seventh year. They had a family of three sons and four daughters. The son, R. B. was a city marshal at Winnfield, while W. K. is in the stock business at Winnfield. The daughters were Anna, deceased wife of J. C. Maxwell of Rochelle; Lucy, wife of W. J. Long, of Georgetown, in Grant Parish; Ella, wife of T. J. Long of Winnfield; and Nancy, wife of W. D. Melton, living in Winnfield. James D. Wright, son of the pioneer Wade A. Wright, possessed many of the enterprising qualities of his father, and lived in the midst of achievement so that he accomplished a great deal, though his life was measured by only forth-three years. He died in 1900. He was educated only in the local schools, and as a youth started farming and handling live stock. When his father died, he took charge of the home estate. His interests broadened in scope and importance and after his marriage he established his own home seven miles south of Winnfield. He owned and operated mills, cotton gins, stores, plantations and was especially well known as a dealer in live stock, driving or shipping his stock to market. He also dealt in timber lands and he built up a comfortable fortune before the days of railroads. In one season he shipped as many as twenty-eight barges of staves to New Orleans. Much of his time was spent in the saddle looking after his livestock and other business. It is said that no one ever came to James D. Wright seeking help who went away disappointed. He assisted in building many schools and churches, and a number of stories have been told to illustrate his free-handed generosity. Once a minister lost his horse and his usefulness as a preacher was accordingly diminished. James Wright, meeting the minister, told him to go to his barn and select the horse that would best suit him and go on with his preaching. James D. Wright married Sarah Anice Long, a sister of George P. Long, a prominent citizen of Winn Parish. She was born in Mississippi and was a child when brought to Louisiana. Her home is at Winnfield and of her nine children, eight are living, namely Wade A.; J. M. of Winnfield; Pearl, wife of E. B. Harrel, an insurance man at DeRidder; J. D. of Winnfield; Mrs. D. W. Herrell, wife of a real estate dealer at new Orleans; Dr. Roy W. of Winnfield; Florence, wife of N. C. Dalton, a farmer in Winn Parish, and W. H., a student in the Louisiana State University. The sons Doctor Roy and J. D. were in the service during the World War, Doctor Roy being with the medical corps. Wade A. Wright of the present generation was born October 25, 1882, and secured his first school advantages at home, and subsequently attended the Louisiana Industrial Institute at Ruston. He was a student there when his father died, and immediately he left school to take charge of the business and affairs of the family. Later he completed a business course in the Spencer Business College at New Orleans. His time for over twenty years has been fully devoted to managing the extended interests left by his father, in which his younger brothers have subsequently joined him. Mr. Wright has never married. He has held the office of chairman of the Parish Democratic Committee for eight years. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge, the Eastern Star, the Scottish Rite Consistory and El Karubah Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Shreveport. He also belongs to the Elks Lodge at Alexandria and the Knights of Pythias. The above was extracted from "A History of Louisiana" by Henry E. Chambers, published 1925. Submitted by Greggory Ellis Davies, Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA.)