From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902. 

Typed by Laurie Birks Dean

pp. 443-445

J. E. WRIGHT.  The commercial supremacy fostered and maintained by J. 
E. Wright in his capacity of president of the La Belle Iron Works, 
places him, through the wise discharge of an enormous responsibility, 
among the financial leaders of West Virginia.  Born in Wheeling, he 
was reared in his native city, and received his educational training 
at the public schools, supplemented by a three-years course at Beaver 
College.  More fortunate than many in locating a waiting opportunity, 
he bcame identified in 1882 with the enterprise with which he is 
still connected, and of which his father, John Wright, was one of the 
organizers and most successful promoters.  Aside from the matter of 
selection, however, Mr. Wright is entitled to vast credit for the 
development of his business career, his invaluable knowledge of the 
iron industry having been gained in a convincing and laborious manner 
while working his way through the grades intervening between the 
duties of a pay clerk and those of the president of one of the most 
important plants in the United States.
	What was originally the Bailey, Woodward & Company concern, now 
the La Belle Iron Works, has greatly contributed, since its 
establishment in 1852, to the upbuilding of Wheeling.  The location 
of the plant here has never been changed, but, whereas it was then in 
the country, it is now in the midst of seething city activities.  A 
joint stock company of 22 members was responsible for its being, and 
it was managed by a board of directors under the presidency of 
Solomon H. Woodward.  Of the members of the old firm, but two 
survive, - John Wright, who withdrew from active participation in its 
affairs in 1876, and W. R. E. Elliott, who still retains an interest 
in the business, and is living in Steubenville, Ohio.  In 1875 the 
present title of the concern was adopted.  The puddling mill at first 
furnished employment to about 250 men, and in connection therewith 
was operated a coal bank, that mineral being then the medium of 
generating power.  The year 1886 witnessed an important change in the 
matter of power, gas being substituted for the product of the coal 
bank.  This was brought originally from the Hickory district, 
southwest of Washington, Pennsylvania.  At present gas is obtained 
from the Cameron district, 30 miles from Wheeling, the well being the 
largest ever drilled in this country.  The first enterprise was a 
nail factory, and nails are still manufactured in large quantities at 
the Wheeling plant.  In fact, this particular department controlled 
the nail output of the country in the early "eighties".  About 1887 
there was established a skelp mill, for the purpose of welding bent 
strips of iron into tubing, and a still later departure was the 
making of tin plate, for which a mill was built in 1895.  Two years 
later the tin plate branch was enlarge, and the following year it was 
disposed of entirely.  At one time there were 10 tin mills, two skelp 
mills, and 173 nail machines, - for the entire operation of which 750 
men were required.  There are now about 300 men in the works at 
Wheeling.
	To secure better facilities for a contemplated increase of 
business, the firm purchased, in 1899, the property formerly utilized 
by the old Jefferson Iron Works at Steubenville, Ohio, which 
comprises 75 acres.  The same year the first buildings for the 
enlarged enterprise were erected, and the office and management were 
removed to the new quarters May 1, 1901.  At Steubenville will be 
manufactured the skelp or tubular goods, for which a mill was 
completed in December, 1901, and a blast furnace is also in process 
of construction for the manufacture of pig metal.  The raw material 
for that product will be brought from the company's mines in St. 
Louis county, Minnesota; these mines were acquired in 1900, and 
require for their operation 40 miners.  The works in the Ohio town 
already furnish work for 1,400 men, and in the near future it is 
expected there will be employment for about 2,500 hands.
	January 1, 1899, Mr. Wright became president and general 
manager of the entire La Belle Iron Works, and removed his family to 
Steubenville May 1, 1901.  W. E. Beswick is secretary of the concern; 
W. B. Higgins, assistant secretary; and W. H. Travis is general 
manager of the Wheeling plant.