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 ENRY WRIGHT, foreman of the paint shops
of the I. & St. L. R. R. at Mattoon, has been a
resident of this city since March, 1872. He
has charge of a force of from ten to twenty
men, and from his long experience in matters under his supervision has become fully qualified for
the duties of his responsible position. Mr. Wright was born on the other side of the Atlantic, in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England, Nov. 22, 1833, and is the son of John and Ann (Baldwin) Wright, also of English birth and parentage. John Wright was Superintendent of a large stable in Calverton, England, which position he held many years, and died at the advanced age of eighty-four years. The wife and mother lived to be eighty-seven years old. Our subject is the youngest of twelve children born to his parents. He attended school until he was fourteen years of age. He was then bound out to serve an apprenticeship of seven years at painting, and at the expiration of this period, worked as a journeyman in his native shire until in July, 1869, when he was nearly thirty-six years of age. He had in the meantime been married, and seeing little prospect in his own country for his advancement or the desired welfare of his family he decided to emigrate to the New World. Landing in Boston he located first at St. Louis and for a year was engaged with the North Missouri Railroad, then went to Jefferson City on the Missouri Pacific, following his trade until 1872. In April of that year he became connected with the I. & St. L. R. R. at Mattoon as foreman of the paint department, and the length of time which he has been with the company is sufficient indication of the respect in which he is held and the value of his services. Mr. Wright was married in Stony Stratford, En- gland, in 1860, to Miss Martha Downing, also a native of Buckinghamshire, and the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Babbing) Downing, who are now deceased. Of this union there have been born seven children, namely, Ada C., Annie, John D., Harry, Joseph S., Catherine E. and Thomas A. Our subject with his wife and five of their children are members of the First Congregational Church, and possessing unusual musical talent have been prominent in this feature of the Church service for the past seven years. The eldest son, John D., learned painting of his father, and now has charge of the paint shops of the C., R. I. & P. R. R. at Keokuk; Harry is rapidly becoming an expert machinist in the I. & St. L. shops; Joseph S. is in the shop with his father. Mr. Wright, after becoming a naturalized citizen, identified himself with the Republican party, and socially is connected with the Knights of Pythias. |
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