Benjamin Franklin Wright

Regions: Berne, Albany Co., NY; Walworth Co., WI

From History of Walworth County Wisconsin by Albert Clayton Beckwith, Vol. II, publ. 1912, Page 1313-1315 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WRIGHT. The late Benjamin Franklin WRIGHT is deserving of mention in this work, partly because of the fact that he led a life of uprightness and industry and partly because he was one of the defenders of the National Union during its days of peril in the great rebellion. He was well known in Walworth county where he long maintained his home and he is still well remembered by a host of close friends. Mr. WRIGHT was born October 7, 1838, in Berne, Albany county, New York. When fifteen years old he left home and came west alone, stopping a few days in Michigan, but came on to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and located in Delavan, in 1855, being thus one of the county's early settlers. In 1859 he purchased a farm at Bell's corners, where he continued to reside most of the time during his active life. He was the son of David and Phoebe (GARDINER) WRIGHT, both natives of New York, and in Dutchess county, that state, the father spent his boyhood, and when a young man moved to Albany county, where he was married and he spent his remaining days there and in Schoharie county, engaged in farming. His wife was an aunt of Judge BRADLEY, an associate judge of the United States court. Benjamin F. WRIGHT started out in life for himself early, and he was truly a self-made man, achieving success solely by his own efforts. He was only fourteen years old when he came to Monroe, Michigan, and there he worked a year as a farm hand, then came to Delavan in 1855. After a short time he took up the carpenter's trade in this county which he followed for a year, then moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he continued carpentering and also clerked in a retail store until 1859, then returned to Walworth township and worked as a farm hand until August 15, 1862, when he enlisted in the Twenty-eighth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. For meritorious service he was promoted to corporal the following year. He took part in many engagements, including that at Helena, Arkansas, Mobile, Alabama, and others, and he escaped without being wounded or taken prisoner, and was honorably discharged August 20, 1865. He then returned to Walworth county and worked at the carpenter's trade until 1881. For the next eight years he carried on a summer resort on Lake Geneva. Mr. WRIGHT was married on March 7, 1861, to Maria A. HUNTLEY, of Walworth county, who died on December 6, 1881, leaving one son, John D. There were three other children, two of whom died in infancy, and Cora May died in 1885, when about twenty two years old. John D. WRIGHT lives in Washington. On March 2, 1892, Benjamin F. WRIGHT married Mrs. Mary (HOLMES) BLACKWELL, widow of William BLACKWELL, deceased and a sister of Mrs. Henry FRANCIS, of Williams Bay, with whom she makes her home. She was a daughter of William and Anna (MITCHELL) HOLMES and was born in Lincolnshire, England, and came here with her parents when thirteen years old. On November 18, 1885, she married William BLACKWELL and they lived in Fontana, this county. Mr. BLACKWELL was an old resident of Walworth township and he kept a store at Fontana for about twenty years. He died about two years after his marriage. Mr. WRIGHT's second marriage was without issue, but he and Mrs. WRIGHT took Lydia BENZEL to raise, then seven years old. Her mother was unable to care for her four children because of a long and severe illness. The girl became known as Lydia WRIGHT, and she now lives in Howard. The death of Benjamin F. WRIGHT occurred on November 14, 1904. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was a man with many friends and no enemies. Submitted by Carol