WIGHT, Pearl, ME., then Orleans Parish, Louisiana


Wight, Pearl, was born in the state of Maine in 1844.  On the paternal side
he traces his ancestry back to Thomas Wight, who came from England in 1644
and settled in Massachusetts, and on his mother's side he is a descendant
of the Westcotts, who came from England in 1640.  While his early American
ancestors were engaged through several generations in the development of
this country, they were at the same time developing the strength of
character that has distinguished the American citizen.  Force of character
and a strong spirit of self-reliance, Mr. Wight inherited in a marked
degree.  After attending the public schools of his native state until he
was 17 years of age, he began his business career in the employ of a large
and representative firm of ship-builders and ship-owners, with which he
continued until the close of the Civil war, gaining in the meantime a
thorough knowledge of the business.  In 1866 he came to New Orleans and
embarked in the ship chandlery and ship supply business.  The firm
continued in business for many years, until Woodward, Wight & Co. (Ltd.)
was chartered in 1888.  When the company was formed, Mr. Wight was elected
president, and so continued until his retirement a few years since.  This
firm is known extensively all over the United States, Central and South
America, and Europe.  Some years ago, Capt. Thomas J. Woodward, who was the
treasurer of the company, retired and was afterwards appointed to the
position of postmaster of the city of New Orleans.  When Mr. Wight first
became a resident of New Orleans, he identified himself with the commercial
exchanges, and since that time has continued his connection with the
Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade, the Progressive union, the
Association on Commerce, and other organizations, thus giving a great deal
of his time and talent to the upbuilding of the city of New Orleans,
through the operations of these various bodies.  He was one of the first
men in New Orleans to become interested in the building of steamships for
the tropical fruit trade.  About this time the trade from Central America
in fruits was entirely carried on in small American sailing vessels.  Mr.
Wight and several others built the first steamer to connect the Central
American countries with New Orleans so as to compete with New York,
Baltimore, and other cities.  He was elected president of the Mexican
Central and South American exchange, which office he held for a number of
years, and during his incumbency the institution sent to all the Central
American republics and Mexico a great deal of printed matter in the
interest of New Orleans commerce, employing as its representative, Robert
C. Wood, a grandson of President Zachary Taylor.  Mr. Wight has also taken
a keen interest in all river and harbor improvements, especially such as
would benefit his adopted city, and In 1868 he was one of the originators
of the movement for the opening of the Southwest Pass, having a bill for
that purpose prepared and introduced in the United States senate by Hon.
Edward D. White, now chief justice of the United States supreme court.  For
many years he was president of the Louisiana Jetty & Lightering Co., which
built the jetties at Tampico, Mex., second only to the jetties at the port
of New Orleans.  He was one of the organizers of the Whitney National bank,
of which he was vice-president for many years; is president of the Southern
States Land & Timber Co., and also of the New Orleans Dry Dock &
Shipbuilding Co.  Mr. Wight has always been very active in any movement
that was for the interest of the people of New Orleans.  For the last
thirty years he has devoted at least one-quarter of his time to the good of
the public, and all that related to the betterment of the city.  When the
sugar bounty was taken away from the sugar planters, the public claimed
that the bounty should have been paid to the planters for that particular
year in which they had paid their license.  Mr. Wight made a trip to
Washington with the late J. C. Morris and while in Washington was told that
it was utterly impossible for the people of Louisiana to receive the sugar
bounty, and that he was wasting his time there.  On his return, he
suggested to the men of Louisiana that they get in touch with the men of
the country with whom they did business and, ask them to make a statement
before their members of congress and senators, requesting them to take up
the work with their friends in the East and West in connection with the
payment of this bounty.  It was generally recognized that he and H.  Mr.
Martin, of Kentucky, were the men to whom the credit would be given for the
results obtained.  In fact, in every emergency he has been called upon, he
always responded readily.  He is one of the citizens of Louisiana who first
must be convinced that what is wanted is just and honest before he devotes
his energy to obtaining results, and he has generally been successful.  In
national affairs, Mr. Wight has always identified himself with the
republican party.  He has been the national committeeman of that party from
Louisiana for many years.  President Roosevelt, during his term of office,
depended upon Mr. Wight to make recommendations for all federal
appointments, and President Taft continued his policy.  He has never held a
public office, but upon a number of occasions, when it seemed possible to
elect a republican to congress from his district, he has been offered the
nomination.  This honor he uniformly declined, preferring his business to
public life or official position.  In 1907 President Roosevelt tendered him
the appointment as commissioner of internal revenue, which department
collects annually in the neighborhood of $250,000,000, and he had made his
arrangements to accept, when the panic of October came, and the many
enterprises with which he was connected made it necessary for him to
decline the office.  In local political matters, Mr. Wight has repeatedly
been connected with various citizens' movements in opposition to the
regular democratic party, and in these cases--as in everything else with
which he has been identified-he gave his best efforts for the achievement
of success.  In 1867, Mr. Wight married Helen L., daughter of Ira B.
Ellems, of Rockland, Me.  Mrs. Wight is a direct descendant of Elder
Brewster, who was imprisoned in England for his religions convictions,
after which he went to Holland, where he aided in the organization of the
Mayflower party, and came to America in that historic vessel, being the
first preacher in Massachusetts.  Mr. Wight has 2 children, a son and a
daughter.  The son, Ira E. Wight, born in 1872, graduated at Yale
university in 1893.  The daughter, Miss Laura Pearl, was born in 1884,
spent 3 years at Miss Masters' school at Dobbs Ferry on the Hudson, and in
1907 was queen of the carnival.

Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 795-797.  Edited
by Alc e Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.

Note:  Original source includes a photo of Mr. Wight.

Submitted by Mike Miller
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