GEORGE HUNTER WRIGHT. This highly-esteemed octogenarian is a living example of what patient purpose, resolute-working, steadfast integrity and life of rectitude can accomplish in the ranks of the industrious, plodding agriculturists. He was born January 22, 1813, in Chester county, Penn., where he received a limited education at the school of the period. His grandfather, Robert Wright, was a native of County Monaghan, Ireland, where he passed his entire life, married, and had a numerous family, of which one son, named James, became the father of the subject of this sketch. James Wright was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1778, and when a lad of ten years emigrated from his native land to America, landing in Philadelphia, Penn., whence he shortly afterward proceeded to Chester county, same State. Here he was "bound out" to one Daniel Cornick, a farmer, with whom he made his home, being trained in agricultural pursuits until eighteen years of age when he commenced the stone mason's trade which he followed until 1818, in which year he came to Washington county locating in Amwell township. Here he purchased a tract of land lying about three miles northeast of Amity, where he passed the remainder of his busy life. While a resident of Chester county he was married to Jane Burns a native of the same, born of English parents and to this union came the following children: Sarah, who lived to the age of fourscore; Samuel, who also lived to a ripe old age; James who lived to adult age; George H., subject; Andrew Jackson and Henry Burns both lived to manhood and Margaret now living in Amwell township, the widow of Nicholas Horn. The father of this family died September 6, 1855, the mother following him to the grave June 3, 1870, at the patriarchal age of ninety-one. In politics Mr. Wright was a Democrat. George H. Wright of whom this memoir chiefly treats, under the careful preceptorship of his father, was early taught lasting lessons in industry and economy lessons that formed in him habits of life which brought to him the success which secured him an ample competence for his declining years. At the age of nineteen (in 1832) our subject commenced life for himself leaving home and working at different places by the month, on farms, in which he continued until the spring of 1838, when he took up his residence in Richhill township, Greene Co. same State, where he remained until 1849, at which time he came to East Finley township this county, locating near where he now lives, about one mile southeast of East Finley postoffice. At that time the place was a "howling wilderness," but Mr. Wright manfully set to work, soon made a clearing on which he erected a substantial log cabin, a primitive but comfortable home for his wife and little ones; and by hard work, indomitable perseverance and good management, what was when he first saw it, a vista of wild rocks, he transformed into smiling fields of grain, and gardens that were made to "blossom as the rose." On April 14, 1832, Mr. Wright was united in marriage with Lydia Holburt, a native of Virginia, born June 4, 1809 daughter of John Holburt, of what was then Morris (now Franklin) township, this county, and this union was blessed with children as follows: Frances Jane, born December 27, 1832, deceased in infancy; Catherine, born November 25, 1833, now living in East Finley township, the widow of George Ealy; John Holburt, born January 8, 1839, died July 27, 1859; James Riley, born December 27, 1840, now in West Finley township, married to Jane Sprowls; Henry, born September 25, 1842, now in East Finley township, married to Rachel Rockefeller; Sarah Margaret, born May 16, 1846, at home with her father; George W. and Isaac B. (twins) born September 13, 1848 (George W. is living in East Finley, married to Juliette Day; Isaac lives in the same township, married to Frances Mills); Benjamin Franklin, born March 16, 1851, now lives in East Finley township, married to Phoebe Jane Tucker of Amwell township. The mother of this large family died August 7, l 889, deeply regretted by all who knew her. She was a consistent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Old Concord, as is Mr. Wright and in his political preferences he has been a lifelong Democrat. JOSHUA WRIGHT was born May 4, 1822, in Peters township, where he lived continuously until 1859, when he moved into Washington borough, in order to give his children a thorough education. Joshua Wright, great-grandfather of the subject of this memoir, came with his brother James from the Cumberland Valley, and settled about 1765, in Nottingham township, this county, on Peters creek. They obtained a tract of land containing over 800 acres (near what is now Finleyville) from Indians, part of which land still remains in the family, Joshua, the great-grandson, having 210 acres of it. In 1779 the great-grandfather bought of his brother James all his share of their joint purchase, and our subject has in his possession the quit-claim deed for same, in which the following words occur: "I quit-claim to my brother against all save God Almighty, who being maker of the Universe, I cannot quit-claim against Him." After he had part of this land cleared and a crop put in, he returned to Harrisburgh and married Charity Sauns, daughter of John Harris, for whom Harrisburgh was named. In October, 1776, Joshua Wright was one of the justices of the peace in Youghiogheny county, and ex-officio judge of the court. He presided over the court in April, 1777, and was also through the Crawford expedition in 1782. After this sale, James Wright went to Kentucky, where he was killed by the Indians. In 1783 Joshua Wright, while on his way with two other men to New Orleans with a boat-load of provisions, was attacked by the Indians, who shot the two companions, and Wright, bravely defending himself to the last, shot several of the Redskins with his own musket and those of his slain companions. Overpowered by numbers, however, he was finally captured, and taken to a point near Sandusky, Ohio, where he was made to "run the gauntlet," and was burned at the stake. It was supposed he was decoyed to this tragical fate by Simon Gerty, the white renegade from Fort Pitt. He left three children: Lydia, Enoch and Agnes. Enoch Wright was born March 10, 1776, on the home farm in Peters township, this county, and was reared to agricultural pursuits. He was but a boy when his father was killed. He married Rachel James, and of their children but one grew to maturity, Joseph, who became the father of our subject. Enoch Wright and his wife both died on the old farm, he in 1846 at the age of seventy years. He was an active man, enjoying most robust health. For over thirty years he was a justice of the peace. He participated in the "Whiskey Insurrection" in 1794, opposing the rising, as he was in favor of paying the tax imposed, and firmly held to his position, even in the face of threatening letters received by him, some of them conveying notice that his buildings would be burned did he not join the insurrectionists. He was by no means easily persuaded, but finally he reluctantly united himself on the side of the Rebellion, and after the shooting of one man, he entered with zeal into it. He served as county commissioner, was director of the poor, and during his incumbency he superintended the building of the first poor house in the county. He was a member of the Baptist Society, and gave the lands and means for the building of a church. Being a strong antislavery man he had it inserted in the deed for this property that no slavery doctrine or sentiments should be preached or discussed in this church. When the church divided he transferred his membership, and deeded land and building to the Methodist Society. His wife survived him nearly twenty years, and died at the age of ninety years. Joseph Wright, father of subject, was born on the home farm in Peters township, August 4, 1794. He received a common-school education, which was supplemented by study at Canonsburg College, where he was at the point of graduating when failing health compelled him to leave. After this he became a local preacher in the M. E. Church, and every Sabbath he conducted Divine service up to the day of his death, which occurred in 1854. He was a close student, making it a rule to read six hours every day. In politics he was a Whig. On November 6, 1814, he married Catherine, daughter of Colonel Thomas and Catherine (Hurd) Hopkins. The Hopkinses came to the county at very early day, and have since been prominently connected with it. Eleven children were born to this union, as follows: Darthula (married Dr. James Miller, and died in Pittsburgh); Catherine (married Thomas Rankin, now of Nebraska; they first settled on a farm in this county); Lucinda (married John Storer, and died leaving one child); Joshua; Enoch (died in Iowa in 1891); Thomas Andrew (died at the age of five years); Joseph Thornton (died in Pittsburgh in 1871); Margaret Ann (married Dr. C. W. Townsend, lives in Peters township, near Bower Hill); Mary Ellen (married Rev. John C. Brown, of the M. E. Church, lives in Iowa); Hopkins (who has been an invalid ever since he was five years of age); and Charity S. (wife of Dr. D. M. Anderson, living on part of the old homestead). The mother of this family died in 1863. They were all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Joshua Wright, the subject of this memoir, was reared on the old farm, where he was born, then for a short time attended the subscription schools of the neighborhood, and afterward studied at an academy. The principal part of his education was received from his father, who commenced to teach him Hebrew before he was ten years of age, making him rise in the morning at four or five o'clock for the purpose of study. For a private tutor he had one Aaron Gammel, under whom he studied every day, without a vacation, for a year. On March 17, 1844, Mr. Wright was married to Miss Sarah C., daughter of Rev. John White, and sister to Judge J. W. F. White, of Pittsburgh. Her mother was a member of the James family. The following children were born to this union: John A., a Methodist Episcopal minister; Speranza Kate (widow of George Brown, now living at Findlay, Ohio); Joseph Enoch (a Methodist Episcopal minister); Elizabeth Ann (married to L. G. Linn, an attorney of Butler, Penn.); William Fletcher (an insurance agent of Buffalo, N. Y.); James Sauns (who died at the age of fifteen years); Hallie Lucinda (wife of Everett Smith, an attorney of Ravenswood, W. Va.); Ada Blanche (wife of .Joseph B. Spriggs, of Washington, Penn); Frank Laurance (a dentist of Duluth, Minn.); and Robert J. (an attorney of Pittsburgh, Penn.). The mother of this family died in 1868, in Washington, at the age of about forty-two years, and in July, 1870, Mr. Wright married Mrs. Jane Dill (nee McFerran), a full cousin of the late Mrs. President Harrison, by whom there are no children. In 1870 he opened a bank, in partnership with Col. William Hopkins and Hon. James H. Hopkins, and continued in same until his retirement in 1885. For many years he has been a member of the M. E. Church. At this writing, March, 1893, there are nine children living, with five daughters-in-law, three sons-in-law, twenty grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Text taken from page 942 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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