Prominent as one of the business men of the reservation country, successful in his endeavors, upright and faithful in his walk, a man of many friends and standing well, the subject of this article should be mentioned as one of the representative men of the County and with pleasure we accord him such.
William A. Wright was born in Morgan County, Ohio, on December 11, 1850, being the son of Charles S. and Deborah (Oliver) Wright. The father was born in the same County; his father came to that place in a two-wheeled cart from Pennsylvania and died in Oregon, aged ninety-three. Our subject’s parents are living near him. His mother was born in Marietta, February 8, 1831. In 1853 the family went to Wisconsin, where our subject was reared and educated.
When he was twenty-one the family came to Washington County, Oregon, and there the father bought land. In 1876, they all came to Columbia County, Washington, near Dayton: the father, this son and a brother took land, where they busied themselves with farming until 1887, when our subject sold out and went to Whitman County. In 1893 all was lost and he went to Idaho. Then came two years of renting Indian land and when the reservation opened Mr. Wright secured a good quarter which he improved and sold in 1901. Then he erected a fine flouring mill in Dublin, with an output capacity of sixty barrels per day it being supplied with all the latest improvements and is one of the finest and most complete mills in the state. Mr. Wright is now giving his attention to the operation of this plant, meeting with good success and being favored with an ever increasing patronage. He has three brothers, Davis S., George W. and Amos A.
On November 17, 1872, Mr. Wright married Miss Ella, daughter of Solomon and Lucetta (Zachary) Emrick. Mr. and Mrs. Emrick came overland in 1843 with ox teams. The father was a native of Illinois and the mother of Kentucky. Mrs. Wright was born in Washington County, Oregon, on July 28, 1856, and received a common schooling. They have five children living, Charles W. a farmer and owner of the ferry at Agatha; Harry S. engineer in the mill at Dublin; Henrietta, deceased, wife of Robt. Hall; Earl, at home; Myrtle, wife of William Evans, Willola; Cora, wife of Oliver Anderson, on the reservation; May an adopted child, at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Wright are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Wright is an active and staunch Republican, being always a delegate and a potent influence in the campaigns. He is an advocate of good schools, general improvements, and better roads and is a progressive and enterprising man.
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Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903