Snapshot: Alexander H. Wright

Alexander H. Wright was born in Medina County Ohio in 1862. He was only a couple of years old when the family moved to Wisconsin, the first of many moves for Alex.

He spent some time in Canada at the Ontario Veterinary College (now part of the University of Guelph, near Toronto), Graduating in 1895. His name shows up in the Journal of Comparative Medicine and Veterinary Archives from that year in the listing of graduates at the 26^th annual commencement on March 29^th. It also mentions that he earned honors in pathology and anatomy. We believe he might be pictured in the photo of graduates on the OVC web site. See if you can find him. It is the sixth photograph in the queue at the bottom (sepia colored). http://www.ovc150.ca/en/Photo_Gallery_OVC_Alumni.asp

After graduation, he married Hattie May Loomis on December 29, 1897 in Columbia County Wisconsin. In the 1905 Wisconsin census the couple is living in Lake Mills and Alex is working as a veterinary surgeon. In 1910 they are in Appleton, now with a one year old son, Philip.

Sometime after 1913 and before 1920 the family, now with sons Philip and Robert, moves to Gresham, Oregon, near Portland. We can surmise this because he is listed in the Neenah-Menasha Telephone Directory in 1913 as living at 622 Union in Appleton with an office at 625 Morrison. They have a farm in Gresham, and it is here that Alex lives the rest of his days, passing away on November 11, 1935 at the age of 73. May, as she is listed in many of the census records, lives another 15 years, dying in 1950.

On a side note, you may recall from the Snapshot of May Wright Bleecker last week that she and her children were also in Appleton at about that same time as Alex and his family. May Wright Bleecker’s son Leslie was also a veterinary surgeon, and he is also listed in the 1913 telephone directory. His office was at 203 Main Street in Neenah, with his home at 312 Commercial in Neenah.

Next week: Leslie Allyn Wright. As always, please send us any news or information you have for Leslie Allyn, or any of the 12. We hope you are enjoying these snapshots, and maybe learning a little more about the family.

Once again: Join us for the 88th Wright Family Reunion! We will be gathering at the Cedar Community Beach House, (5595 County Road Z, West Bend, WI 53095) July 8th 2012 at 10:00 in the morning. We will gather, have a meal (bring a dish to pass!) have our family business meeting and hang out together at Beautiful Cedar Lake. You can find a map at our blog from the April 4th post. We have received a few emails to share. If you have news you want passed along at the reunion, you can email it to us at wrightreunion@sbcglobal.net.