My Genealogy Hound

JOHN WRIGHT, one of the leading agriculturists of Worthington, was born in Clyde, N.Y., in 1830. He bears the name of his adopted parents. His former name was Didy. His father, Richard Didy, who was a native of New York State, spent the major part of his life in the town of Rose, N.Y., where he was well known and successfully followed the occupation of farming. He died there in 1836, his wife having passed away in 1830. They were the parents of seven children; namely, Garrett (deceased), Cornelius, William, Eliza, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and John.

John Didy, his mother having died during his infancy, by his father’s death was left without parental care when five years of age. About that time he was taken into the family of Rufus M. Wright, who afterward legally adopted him, and had his name changed to that of John Wright. Rufus M. Wright was born in Massachusetts in 1803. In his younger days he engaged in school-teaching, being one of the first teachers in Hampshire County. He afterward turned his attention to agriculture, and profitably followed the latter occupation up to his death. His wife, who was Miss Salina Parrish before marriage, was born in 1808. She died on January 22, 1870, and he twenty years later, on October 24, 1890. One daughter was born to them, Helen Mira, who died in infancy; and John Wright was in consequence like an only child to them. He lived with them until their death, at which time he inherited the place on which he has since resided. He is prosperously engaged in general farming and dairying, and makes a specialty of butter-making. On September 9, 1862, he enlisted from Worthington in Company K of the Forty-sixth Massachusetts Regiment for service in the Civil War. He was first sent to the camp at Springfield, where he had been but eight days when he was taken sick and was obliged to return home. After a fortnight, however, he was able to return to his regiment, which was still at Springfield. He subsequently accompanied it when it embarked for Newbern, N.C., where during the succeeding three months he served on picket duty at different quarters. The first engagement in which he took part was that of Red House Landing. After that the regiment returned to Newbern for a short time, and then went by march to Plymouth, where it was stationed for three weeks as a guard to the town. At the expiration of that time it was sent back to Newbern, but soon after it was despatched to Fortress Monroe, and thence, at short intervals, successively to Baltimore, Harper’s Ferry, and Arlington Heights. From the latter place the regiment was sent to Baltimore again, and not long after received orders to return home. While in the service Mr. Wright received injuries from which he has never recovered sufficiently to engage in laborious work. He was honorably discharged at Springfield, and at once returned to his home, where he has since remained occupied in the successful management of his farm.

He was married on August 18, 1855, in Rose, N. Y., to Miss Phoebe Soper, who was born in Long Island on September 12, 1834. At four years of age she removed with her parents to Rose, where she was educated and grew to womanhood. She has borne her husband three children, namely: Alfred, born September 7, 1857, married to Miss Julia Damon, a successful farmer and now in Chesterfield, Mass.; Louisa, born May 6, 1858, who is the wife of William Viets, a prosperous farmer of West Springfield, and has four children — Burditt, Nettie, Robert, and Clifton; and Hattie, born May 11, 1862, who married Foster Beach, by whom she has two children — Clayton, born November 5, 1887, and Mabel, born May 30, 1889. Mr. Beach died May 24, 1891. On May 15, 1895, Mrs. Beach became the wife of Herbert Higgins, who was born in Cummington, Mass., June 14, 1867. In politics Mr. Wright is a Republican. He has always taken an active interest in the various enterprises of the town and county, and is well and favorably known by all with whom he comes in touch, being a man of upright business integrity.