Wright, M. D.
M. D. Wright Early Pioneer of Elk City, Kansas
Retired merchant and honored citizen of Elk City, was born in Fayette County, Indiana, November 12th, 1832 and is a son of Jonathan and Susanna B. (Jones) Wright, natives of Maryland. The father was by occupation, a miller and plied his vocation in Pennsylvania until about the time of the war of 1812, when he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio and embarked in the mercantile business. After the war he traded for wild lands in Fayette Co., Ind. and subsequently moved to Richmond, Ind., where he continued to reside until his death. at the age of seventy nine years. Our subject lost his mother the day of his birth, she being then forty years old. The parents were devoted adherents of the Quaker faith. Their family consisted of eight children - three now living. M. D. our subject; Thaddeus of Minneapolis, Minn, and Martha, widow of Paul Barnard, who resides with her brother in Elk City.
M. D. Wright has had a somewhat remarkable career, in his earlier days partaking much of adventure. He began life at sixteen years of age as a clerk in a country store, but soon went to Cincinnati, where he spent three and a half years in a wholesale establishment. He then went east, were for the next two years he was similarly engaged in Philadelphia and New York. The Australian gold fields were, at that time, creating great excitement and he concluded to try his fortune in those regions. Embarking on the sailing vessel "Rockland" he made the trip in one hundred twenty days, going via Rio Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope. He reached the Australian mines in May of 1851 and for the following year, had varying success. He however, did not fancy the hard life of the gold miner and engaged with a firm to act as clerk in their store in New South Wales. Here he spent fifteen months more pleasantly, but by this time he was ready to again return to civilization in the states, but was loath to do so empty handed, and he determined to take a drove of horses to Sidney and dispose of them, if Possible at a profit. This enterprise for various reasons proved a failure. From Sidney he embarked on a small trading vessel, trading among the South Sea Islands, finally landed on the Solomon Islands, where he remained six months. He shipped on a man of war and cruised in the Caribbean Sea, The vessel put in at Valparaiso, where on account of sickness he was discharged. A four months whaling voyage followed, filed with exciting adventures with these great saurian of the deep. Resolve again to return home, he after a most tempestuous voyage around the Horn, attended with captain and himself found the quiet home of his boyhood mid the blessings of civilization, and where he was ready to repent with the sweet singer, John Howard Payne.
How sweet the remembrance of home still appears;br
From Allurements abroad which but flatter the eye,br
Home, home sweet sweet homebr
be it ever so humblebr
There's no place like home
Mr. Wright arrived home in the spring of 1857. In company with a brother, he now entered on a mercantile career which he pursued until his enlistment in the Union army in 1864, becoming
first Lieutenant in Co., D 146th Ind. Vol. Inf. He served a year, his regiment being used chiefly to oppose the noted cavalry commander Gen Moseby, and with whom they had many exciting skirmishes. His company was mustered out at Harper's Ferry in May of 1865
Mr. Wright now took on another occupation, engaging in the sedate occupation of the school master, quite a remove from the exciting experiences of travel and war. This experience was in Benton county, Indiana and proceeded his overland trip to Kansas in 1870. He came to Elk City and trading his outfit for a cabin and lot, began a mercantile business. He continued here with moderate success until 1890 and then spent three years in Oklahoma in the same business, since which time he has remained in Elk City managing his real estate holdings.
Mr. Wright was for thirteen years postmaster of the village and in the early days was the moving spirit of the town. He was always exerted a potent influence in the affairs of the community and holds the respect of its citizens in a marked degree. He has reared a family of children who are respected members of the different communities in which they reside and is rounding out a long and useful career in the enjoyment of the fruits of earlier labors, amid the uniform esteem of old friends and neighbors.
Marriage was contracted by our subject in Indiana in 1858. His wife who is still his companion on life's journey was Miss Lydia A., daughter of William and Miriam (Wickersham) Fosdick. Her eight children are: Kate B., Mrs. J. M Smythe; Jessie married C. J. Hafey and died at the age of forty years; Jennie, Mrs. E. E. Masterman; Lizzie, married C. O. Chandler and is now deceased; Mary, wife of Charles Stafford; Irene deceased at eight; Miss Nellie a stenographer at Medicine Lodge, Kansas; and Cora, Mrs. Richard Power of British Columbia.
taken from Elk City Enterprise dated October 18, 1895
Mr. M. D. Wright, the pioneer merchant of Elk City, today takes charge, as manager, of the Chambers store, G. C. Cambers resigning the position to go into a Kansas City wholesale store. Mr. Wright is an experienced merchant.
aken from Elk CityEnterprise June 8, 1900
M. D. Wright disposed of his general merchandise store this week to Mr. W. H. Scott, who now has possession. Mr. Scott consolidated it with a stock which he already owned and expects to continue the business.
taken from Elk City Sun dated February 15, 1918
Mrs. M. D. Wright passes away, for many years a resident of this city, passed away Wednesday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. C. A. Stafford in Altoona. She had been in failing health for several years and made her home with her daughters. The remains were brought here yesterday from Altoona and the funeral services conducted at 2:30 p.m. at the M. E. church by Rev. Spender, pastor of the Fredonia M. E. church. Burial was made in Oak Hill cemetery beside her husband and children, who had passed on before. Mrs. Wright was held in high esteem by all who knew her and the bereaved relatives have the deep sympathy of many friends here in their loss.