James Gregson Wright

Married Almira Van Osdel in 1845, they had seven children, William P., Sarah E., Margaret E., Mary Ellen, Catherine A., J. George, and J. Joseph.
An Englishman by birth, he gained wealth and prominence in DuPage County.
Born in Liverpool, England, his parents brought him to the United States as a child. He attended schools for several years in New York City.
He moved to Naperville in 1842. He purchased 160 acres, at the usual price of $1.25 per acre, and became a farmer. He prospered at this trade, his wealth and success keeping pace with the rise of Naperville. In addition to his farm, Wright founded the first lumber yard in Aurora in 1849. By 1857, Wright was so prosperous that he founded the county's first bank with George Martin, the Producer's Bank of Martin and Wright, which remained in operation until 1873.
He co-founded the DuPage County Agricultural and Mechanical Society, an organization dedicated to the promotion of farming and industry in the county. It was originally located in Naperville.
He was an ardent supporter of the Republican Party in it's founding days. Abraham Lincoln rewarded him by appointing him Postmaster of Naperville on April 8, 1861.
In 1860 he served as township supervisor and member of the county board of supervisors. He served six terms in the Illinois House of Representatives.
In 1882 he was appointed as the U.S. agent to the Sioux Indians in the vicinity of Rosebud Agency, South Dakota. He was the government representative for four years to 8000 of the Sioux. He was the first Indian agent to establish schools for the people he served. In 1896 he retired from his post and returned to Chicago.
In 1847 built a home of English architecture, the brick came from Warrenville Brick and the lumber was the first shipped over the Northwestern Railroad as far west as Wheaton. The main section of the house was built before 1850. The present home site is the restaurant Meson Sabika. It has also been known as "Oakhurst" and "Will-O-Way Manor".

DuPage County numbers among its deceased pioneers many whose claim to enduring fame are worthy of consideration, but there is none who stood higher or did more for his community, than the late Hon. James Gregson Wright, for years a leading spirit in the life of Naperville. During his life in this flourishing little city, no measure of public interest was carried out to successful completion without the hearty cooperation of Mr. Wright, and he never lost his deep interest in the place. He was born in Liverpool, England, June 6, 1823, being a son of Joseph and Sarah (Parkinson) Wright, who spent their lives in England. When a boy, Mr. Wright was brought to New York City, and there continued the studies begun in England. In 1843 he came to DuPage County, and entered 160 acres of land from the government, paying the customary $1.25 per acre for it. For years he worked early and late to bring it into a state where farming was profitable. In the meanwhile Naperville had grown into a village of considerable size, and he, with George Martin, established a bank, under the name of Martin, Wright & Co. Mr. Wright had the distinction of being the first Republican postmaster of Naperville, being appointed by President Lincoln, for with the formation of the Republican party, he had entered into the promulgation of its doctrines, and continued a staunch supporter of it until the day of his death. Having been for years one of the leading men of his community, it was but natural that he should be sent to represent his district in the State Assembly, six terms, serving his commonwealth and constituents with distinction. Governor Shelby M. Cullom selected him with others to represent the state of Illinois at the funeral of President Garfield.

Mr. Wright was united in marriage in Chicago in 1845, in the old Baptist Church, which once stood at the corner of Washington and LaSalle streets, to Almira Van Osdel, sister of John M. Van Osdel, Chicago's first architect. Mrs. Wright was born in Baltimore, Md., and died in Chicago, August 30, 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Wright became the parents of children as follows: William P., spoken of elsewhere; Sarah E., married Thomas Bruce and died in London, April 15, 1900; Margaret E., residing in Chicago; Mary Ellen, unmarried, died May 7, 1900; Catherine A., married Alexander B. Thornburn and lives in Liverpool, England; J. George and J. Joseph, also written up elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Wright celebrated their golden wedding in 1895. From 1864 to 1883, Mr. Wright was Senior Warden of St. John's Episcopal Church of Naperville, and was always one of the strongest supporters of that church.

Through the friendship of Gen. John A. Logan, in 1882 Mr. Wright was appointed United States agent at Rosebud Agency, S.D., being in charge of 8,000 of the most turbulent Sioux Indians, who did no productive work, content to live in tepees. They congregated in large camps, but had no schools nor were they under any settled civilizing influence. Mr. Wright took charge with characteristic energy, and when he retired from the service upon the expiration of his term of office, in 1886, he had succeeded in breaking up the wild camp life of the Indian, inaugurating a system of locating Indians on separate tracts of land, and establishing day schools, which policy has since been adopted and continued by the government throughout the United States. Returning to Illinois in 1886, Mr. Wright settled in Chicago, where he lived retired until his death, January 7, 1905. Honorable in the highest degree, he never failed to accord fairness of dealing to everyone, and was proud of keeping his record unblemished, both as a private citizen and public official, and making it something to hand down to his children.

James G. Wright, one of the pioneer settlers of Illinois, died Saturday, Jan. 7, 1905, at the home of his son, J. Joseph Wright, 36 Woodland Park, Chicago, after an illness lasting several days. Mr. Wright was born in Liverpool, England, eighty-one years ago and came to the United States in 1841, settling on a farm near Naperville, Ill., where he lived until 1887, when he retired and went to Chicago, where he has since made his home. For many years Mr. Wright was prominent in republican politics and served several terms in the legislature. In 1880 he took the census of Chicago and later held a position with the department of the interior. Last Tuesday Mr. Wright was stricken with hemorrage of the stomach, and owing to his advanced age was unable to recover from the shock. Five children survive Mr. Wright; William T. Wright, J. Joseph Wright, and Miss Ella Wright of Chicago; Mrs. Thomas Thorburn of London, England, and J. George Wright, United States Indian inspector, now stationed in Indian Territory.