From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, pages 486-487.
Brant & Fuller, 1890.


JOHN WRIGHT

John Wright, for many years prominently identified with the iron and 
nail manufacture of the city of Wheeling, was born in Pittsburgh, 
Penn., September 19, 1824. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth 
(Ward) Wright, natives of England, who came to America in the early 
part of the present century, and were subsequently married at 
Pittsburgh.  The father was a skilled mechanic, and assisted in 
building Sonneberger's Iron works at Pittsburgh, in 1824, and was 
engineer of those works during a period of forty-five or fifty years.  
Subsequently removing to a farm a few miles from Pittsburgh, he died 
there a few years later, and that is now the home of his widow, who 
is in her ninety-second year.  The subject of this mention, when a 
small boy, was employed as an assistant engineer of the Juniata 
works, and remained there until the fall of 1849, when he came to 
Wheeling, and took charge of the engine of the Belmont Nail works. 
This position he held until 1852, when he became one of the 
organizers of the company which established the La Belle Iron works.  
When the institution was started he took the position of engineer, 
and so continued until 1876, when he retired from active life.  Mr. 
Wright has been a director of the LaBelle Iron works since it was 
changed to a stock company, and for several years he served as a 
director of the Jefferson Iron works, of Steubenville, Ohio, owned by 
the La Belle company. He is also a stockholder of the Street Railway 
company and the Wheeling & Belmont Bridge company.  Since his 
retirement from business Mr. Wright has enjoyed the fruits of his 
active career at his home, a large and handsome residence, formerly 
the home of George Caldwell, deceased, and situated on the old 
Caldwell estate on Caldwell run.  He was married in April, 1852, to 
Eleanor Madden, of Wheeling, and seven children have been born to 
their union, six of whom are now living.  Mrs. Wright is a member of 
the United Presbyterian church.  In political affairs Mr. Wright has 
never taken a prominent part, but has since its organization a 
staunch member of the republican party, and during the war period he 
was an active supporter of the Union.   


(Linda Fluharty)