After many years of active labor Johnson T Wright is now living retired in Carlisle, where he owns a pleasant home and is surrounded by all the comforts which go to make life worth the living. A native of New Jersey, he was born near Trenton, February 7, 1825, and is a son of George Wright. On leaving that state he removed to Miami county, Ohio, and later to Montgomery county. Indiana, where he made his home for several years.
He was married near Crawfordsville, Indiana. on the 5th of October, 1848, to Miss Emeline Simpson, who was born in 1826 in Franklin county, that state, of which her father. Allen Simpson, was one of the first settlers, locating there when the Indians were still numerous in that region. He was a native of Kentucky.
Mr. and Mrs. Wright are the parents of five children who are still living;
Margaret E., the wife of David Callahan, of Carlisle;
Alice, the wife of Samuel P. Chevalier, of Des Moines;
Amelia E., the wife of Clinton P. Chevalier, of the same city;
George A., now postmaster of Carlisle, and
Charles D., a carpenter living in Des Moines.
They also lost two children:
Nannie May, who died at the age of three months, and
Elizabeth, who died at the age of six years.
For some years after his marriage Mr. Wright continued to engage in farming in Montgomery county, Indiana, where he owned one hundred acres of land, but in 1860 he sold that property and
removed to Indianola, Iowa, opening the first grocery store in that city. There he carried on business for three years, at the end of which time he disposed of his stock and removed to Polk county, this state, buying a farm just over the line but near Carlisle, where he owned six hundred and forty acres of very valuable and productive land. Upon his place he erected a good brick residence and substantial outbuildings, and was successfully engaged in farming and stockraising for some time.
Later he sold that property and bought another farm in Allen township, Warren county, but now makes his home in Carlisle, where he purchased a lot and built a nice home.
Originally Mr. Wright was an old line whig in politics, and since the dissolution of that party has been a stanch republican, but never a politician in the sense of ofiice seeking. He was initiated into the Masonic order at Indianola and is now a Knight Templar, holding membership with the chapter and commandery at Des Moines.
Both he and his wife are active and faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, which he joined in 1848, while she has been connected therewith since the age of sixteen years. In 1898 they celebrated their golden wedding at their home in Carlisle, where children, grandchildren and friends to the number of sixty were gathered to wish them joy, some coming from as far as Boston and Texas. and they left many substantial tokens of their regard. For sixty years Mr. and Mrs. Wright have now traveled life’s journey together, sharing with each other its joys and sorrows, adversity and prosperity. and their love and confidence increasing as the years have rolled by.
