JOSHUA WRIGHT was born May 4, 1822, in Peters township, where he lived continously 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 remains in the family, Joshua, the great grandson, having 200 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 Youghioheny county, and ex-officio judge of the court. He presided over the court April, 1777, and was also through the Crawford expedition in 1782. After this sale, James Wright went to Kentucky, where he was killed by 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 Indians 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 "run the gauntlet," and was burned at the stake. It was supposed he was decoyed to this tragic 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 threating letters received by him, some 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 encumbency he superintended the building of the first poor house in the county. He was a member of the Baptist Society, and gave the land and means for the building of a church. Being a strong anti- slavery man he had it inserted in the deed for the property that no slavery doctrine or sentiments should be preached or dicussed 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 the 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 Cannonsburg 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 occured 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 this country at a very early day, and have since been prominently connected with it. Eleven children were born to this union, as follows: Darthula (married to 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 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 Bufflo, 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 976 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Richard Howell of Woodsfield, OH as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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