John F. Wright’s cremated remains were not initially taken after his death and were available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In September 2019 the family received the ashes. More information about unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/osh/Pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a short documentary film by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
According to census data he was born in Missouri between 1852 and 1854. His mother, Elizabeth Flavilla Fritzwater, was born in Kentucky about 1822. His father, Preston Wright, was born in Missouri about 1820. They were married on 7/31/1845 in Washington County, Missouri. Their children (all born in Missouri) included: Charles Humble (born in 1846), Joseph M. (in 1848), and Cathrine M. (in 1850), John F. (about 1853), William (about 1855), and Preston Perry (in 1857).
At the time of the 1850 census (before John was born), his parents and 3 oldest siblings were living in Crawford County, Missouri where Preston was farming. Neighbors on both sides were also Wrights and are assumed to be Preston’s family.
During the 1860 census, John was 6 years old living with his parents and siblings in Harrison Mills, Liberty Township, Crawford County, Missouri. John’s dad was still farming, but on 2/11/1864 Preston died at the age of 41. John’s brother Joseph (about 15) died a week later on 2/188/1864. At that time, John was just about 10 years old.
In the census of 1870, John was working as a farm laborer and living in Liberty Township, Crawford County with his widowed mother, sister Catherine and two younger brothers. His brother Charles and Charles’ wife Mary Amanda Hughes Wright were farming next door. It is not known what became of John’s mother, sister Catherine or brother William after 1870.
Brother Charles moved to California in the 1870s and by 1879 he and his family were living in southern Oregon. At least by the early 1880s John and his brother Preston were also living near Charles in the area around Glide, in Douglas County in southern Oregon. John first appeared in the local newspaper in March 1884 in a short article that said he had been quite sick and had been convalescing at his brother’s home for the past 3 weeks. By May 1884 John was teaching at the Mount Scott school near Glide. In April 1885 John’s brother, 27 year old brother Preston, died while cutting trees on the Dixon ranch. He was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery.
John Wright was described in the newspaper as “one of Douglas County’s best school teachers.” In 1891 he was teaching in Peel, a little community near Glide along Little River. The article went on to explain that he had been committed to the Oregon State Insane Asylum, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. According to the article John had been “unwell for a couple of weeks and fainted in his school and since that time his reason has been dethroned except for short intervals.” The institution was relative new, having opened in October 1883. He was apparently released from the asylum after a short time and then re-admitted to the asylum on 6/26/1892.
In April 1893 he returned home to Peel from the institution and the newspaper reported, “He is in good health again.” John reintegrated into the community and became active in community life. By virtue of being a teacher he was referred to as Professor J. F. Wright. He gave a reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Glide Fourth of July celebration in 1896. In 1896-7 he taught in Elkton and in 1897-8 he taught in Lookingglass, both are small communities in Douglas County. After the summer of 1898 it seems he gave up teaching.
He pieced together a living with a variety of revenue. By 1899 John was Glide’s postmaster and grocer. He was known as “the one hoss grocery man” who had a “little cottage on the bank of the river opposite Lone Rock.” In September 1898 John and his brother Charles were among those who bid on the county contract to operate the Lone Rock Ferry. John bid $19 per month and Charles bid $25/month. The lowest bid was by J B McGhehey who offered to operate the ferry for $9.75 per month. It is not known who won the bid.
During the 1900 census John was living next door to his brother Charles and Charles’ family (wife Mary and 6 sons). John was serving as the postmaster and also being paid $10 every 2 months by the county for taking care of John Halter, a single 72 year old man who was described as a “pauper.” In lieu of having a poor farm, the county paid local citizens to assume the support of their indigent neighbors. In 1903 - 1905 John made frequent (every couple weeks) trips to visit Roseburg, a larger town about 17 miles to the west.
John seemed to be close with his nephews. In 1899 John was fundraising in the community with his nephew Walter to collect funds for a county-wide project to construct a soldiers’ memorial. In 1905 John and his nephews Perry and Ed were invited to participate in the Glide Lyceum, a newly formed debating club. In the first two debates John spoke on the affirmative side of both questions: “that country life is better than city life” and “that women have the rights of suffrage.” In August and September 1905, John and Charles along with 5 of Charles’ sons John Bell “JB,” Edgar “Ed”, Elmer, Burley and Perry went on a 3-week hunting trip in the Bohemia Mountains 55 miles from Glide in the Umpqua National Forest and killed 20 deer and 3 bears. After the trip he shared information with the newspaper about his observations about the fire danger and huckleberry harvest.
On 4/12/1907 John was re-admitted to the insane asylum in Salem that was later called the Oregon State Hospital. He was listed among the patients at the state hospital on the censuses of 1910 and 1920. His last hospitalization was 14 years long. He died at OSH on 6/14/1921. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis which he contacted at the hospital about December 1919. At that time TB was one of the ten major causes of death in the United States and was particularly a problem in facilities where large numbers of people were housed in close quarters. He was about 68 years old. He was single all his life.
John’s brother Charles died at his home in Glide on 1/14/1922 and was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, 6 sons and an adopted daughter, Ella Atterbury. Charles and Mary had had 4 other children who died in childhood.∼Unclaimed thru OR.
According to census data he was born in Missouri between 1852 and 1854. His mother, Elizabeth Flavilla Fritzwater, was born in Kentucky about 1822. His father, Preston Wright, was born in Missouri about 1820. They were married on 7/31/1845 in Washington County, Missouri. Their children (all born in Missouri) included: Charles Humble (born in 1846), Joseph M. (in 1848), and Cathrine M. (in 1850), John F. (about 1853), William (about 1855), and Preston Perry (in 1857).
At the time of the 1850 census (before John was born), his parents and 3 oldest siblings were living in Crawford County, Missouri where Preston was farming. Neighbors on both sides were also Wrights and are assumed to be Preston’s family.
During the 1860 census, John was 6 years old living with his parents and siblings in Harrison Mills, Liberty Township, Crawford County, Missouri. John’s dad was still farming, but on 2/11/1864 Preston died at the age of 41. John’s brother Joseph (about 15) died a week later on 2/188/1864. At that time, John was just about 10 years old.
In the census of 1870, John was working as a farm laborer and living in Liberty Township, Crawford County with his widowed mother, sister Catherine and two younger brothers. His brother Charles and Charles’ wife Mary Amanda Hughes Wright were farming next door. It is not known what became of John’s mother, sister Catherine or brother William after 1870.
Brother Charles moved to California in the 1870s and by 1879 he and his family were living in southern Oregon. At least by the early 1880s John and his brother Preston were also living near Charles in the area around Glide, in Douglas County in southern Oregon. John first appeared in the local newspaper in March 1884 in a short article that said he had been quite sick and had been convalescing at his brother’s home for the past 3 weeks. By May 1884 John was teaching at the Mount Scott school near Glide. In April 1885 John’s brother, 27 year old brother Preston, died while cutting trees on the Dixon ranch. He was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery.
John Wright was described in the newspaper as “one of Douglas County’s best school teachers.” In 1891 he was teaching in Peel, a little community near Glide along Little River. The article went on to explain that he had been committed to the Oregon State Insane Asylum, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. According to the article John had been “unwell for a couple of weeks and fainted in his school and since that time his reason has been dethroned except for short intervals.” The institution was relative new, having opened in October 1883. He was apparently released from the asylum after a short time and then re-admitted to the asylum on 6/26/1892.
In April 1893 he returned home to Peel from the institution and the newspaper reported, “He is in good health again.” John reintegrated into the community and became active in community life. By virtue of being a teacher he was referred to as Professor J. F. Wright. He gave a reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Glide Fourth of July celebration in 1896. In 1896-7 he taught in Elkton and in 1897-8 he taught in Lookingglass, both are small communities in Douglas County. After the summer of 1898 it seems he gave up teaching.
He pieced together a living with a variety of revenue. By 1899 John was Glide’s postmaster and grocer. He was known as “the one hoss grocery man” who had a “little cottage on the bank of the river opposite Lone Rock.” In September 1898 John and his brother Charles were among those who bid on the county contract to operate the Lone Rock Ferry. John bid $19 per month and Charles bid $25/month. The lowest bid was by J B McGhehey who offered to operate the ferry for $9.75 per month. It is not known who won the bid.
During the 1900 census John was living next door to his brother Charles and Charles’ family (wife Mary and 6 sons). John was serving as the postmaster and also being paid $10 every 2 months by the county for taking care of John Halter, a single 72 year old man who was described as a “pauper.” In lieu of having a poor farm, the county paid local citizens to assume the support of their indigent neighbors. In 1903 - 1905 John made frequent (every couple weeks) trips to visit Roseburg, a larger town about 17 miles to the west.
John seemed to be close with his nephews. In 1899 John was fundraising in the community with his nephew Walter to collect funds for a county-wide project to construct a soldiers’ memorial. In 1905 John and his nephews Perry and Ed were invited to participate in the Glide Lyceum, a newly formed debating club. In the first two debates John spoke on the affirmative side of both questions: “that country life is better than city life” and “that women have the rights of suffrage.” In August and September 1905, John and Charles along with 5 of Charles’ sons John Bell “JB,” Edgar “Ed”, Elmer, Burley and Perry went on a 3-week hunting trip in the Bohemia Mountains 55 miles from Glide in the Umpqua National Forest and killed 20 deer and 3 bears. After the trip he shared information with the newspaper about his observations about the fire danger and huckleberry harvest.
On 4/12/1907 John was re-admitted to the insane asylum in Salem that was later called the Oregon State Hospital. He was listed among the patients at the state hospital on the censuses of 1910 and 1920. His last hospitalization was 14 years long. He died at OSH on 6/14/1921. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis which he contacted at the hospital about December 1919. At that time TB was one of the ten major causes of death in the United States and was particularly a problem in facilities where large numbers of people were housed in close quarters. He was about 68 years old. He was single all his life.
John’s brother Charles died at his home in Glide on 1/14/1922 and was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, 6 sons and an adopted daughter, Ella Atterbury. Charles and Mary had had 4 other children who died in childhood.∼Unclaimed thru OR.
John F. Wright’s cremated remains were not initially taken after his death and were available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In September 2019 the family received the ashes. More information about unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/osh/Pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a short documentary film by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
According to census data he was born in Missouri between 1852 and 1854. His mother, Elizabeth Flavilla Fritzwater, was born in Kentucky about 1822. His father, Preston Wright, was born in Missouri about 1820. They were married on 7/31/1845 in Washington County, Missouri. Their children (all born in Missouri) included: Charles Humble (born in 1846), Joseph M. (in 1848), and Cathrine M. (in 1850), John F. (about 1853), William (about 1855), and Preston Perry (in 1857).
At the time of the 1850 census (before John was born), his parents and 3 oldest siblings were living in Crawford County, Missouri where Preston was farming. Neighbors on both sides were also Wrights and are assumed to be Preston’s family.
During the 1860 census, John was 6 years old living with his parents and siblings in Harrison Mills, Liberty Township, Crawford County, Missouri. John’s dad was still farming, but on 2/11/1864 Preston died at the age of 41. John’s brother Joseph (about 15) died a week later on 2/188/1864. At that time, John was just about 10 years old.
In the census of 1870, John was working as a farm laborer and living in Liberty Township, Crawford County with his widowed mother, sister Catherine and two younger brothers. His brother Charles and Charles’ wife Mary Amanda Hughes Wright were farming next door. It is not known what became of John’s mother, sister Catherine or brother William after 1870.
Brother Charles moved to California in the 1870s and by 1879 he and his family were living in southern Oregon. At least by the early 1880s John and his brother Preston were also living near Charles in the area around Glide, in Douglas County in southern Oregon. John first appeared in the local newspaper in March 1884 in a short article that said he had been quite sick and had been convalescing at his brother’s home for the past 3 weeks. By May 1884 John was teaching at the Mount Scott school near Glide. In April 1885 John’s brother, 27 year old brother Preston, died while cutting trees on the Dixon ranch. He was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery.
John Wright was described in the newspaper as “one of Douglas County’s best school teachers.” In 1891 he was teaching in Peel, a little community near Glide along Little River. The article went on to explain that he had been committed to the Oregon State Insane Asylum, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. According to the article John had been “unwell for a couple of weeks and fainted in his school and since that time his reason has been dethroned except for short intervals.” The institution was relative new, having opened in October 1883. He was apparently released from the asylum after a short time and then re-admitted to the asylum on 6/26/1892.
In April 1893 he returned home to Peel from the institution and the newspaper reported, “He is in good health again.” John reintegrated into the community and became active in community life. By virtue of being a teacher he was referred to as Professor J. F. Wright. He gave a reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Glide Fourth of July celebration in 1896. In 1896-7 he taught in Elkton and in 1897-8 he taught in Lookingglass, both are small communities in Douglas County. After the summer of 1898 it seems he gave up teaching.
He pieced together a living with a variety of revenue. By 1899 John was Glide’s postmaster and grocer. He was known as “the one hoss grocery man” who had a “little cottage on the bank of the river opposite Lone Rock.” In September 1898 John and his brother Charles were among those who bid on the county contract to operate the Lone Rock Ferry. John bid $19 per month and Charles bid $25/month. The lowest bid was by J B McGhehey who offered to operate the ferry for $9.75 per month. It is not known who won the bid.
During the 1900 census John was living next door to his brother Charles and Charles’ family (wife Mary and 6 sons). John was serving as the postmaster and also being paid $10 every 2 months by the county for taking care of John Halter, a single 72 year old man who was described as a “pauper.” In lieu of having a poor farm, the county paid local citizens to assume the support of their indigent neighbors. In 1903 - 1905 John made frequent (every couple weeks) trips to visit Roseburg, a larger town about 17 miles to the west.
John seemed to be close with his nephews. In 1899 John was fundraising in the community with his nephew Walter to collect funds for a county-wide project to construct a soldiers’ memorial. In 1905 John and his nephews Perry and Ed were invited to participate in the Glide Lyceum, a newly formed debating club. In the first two debates John spoke on the affirmative side of both questions: “that country life is better than city life” and “that women have the rights of suffrage.” In August and September 1905, John and Charles along with 5 of Charles’ sons John Bell “JB,” Edgar “Ed”, Elmer, Burley and Perry went on a 3-week hunting trip in the Bohemia Mountains 55 miles from Glide in the Umpqua National Forest and killed 20 deer and 3 bears. After the trip he shared information with the newspaper about his observations about the fire danger and huckleberry harvest.
On 4/12/1907 John was re-admitted to the insane asylum in Salem that was later called the Oregon State Hospital. He was listed among the patients at the state hospital on the censuses of 1910 and 1920. His last hospitalization was 14 years long. He died at OSH on 6/14/1921. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis which he contacted at the hospital about December 1919. At that time TB was one of the ten major causes of death in the United States and was particularly a problem in facilities where large numbers of people were housed in close quarters. He was about 68 years old. He was single all his life.
John’s brother Charles died at his home in Glide on 1/14/1922 and was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, 6 sons and an adopted daughter, Ella Atterbury. Charles and Mary had had 4 other children who died in childhood.∼Unclaimed thru OR.
According to census data he was born in Missouri between 1852 and 1854. His mother, Elizabeth Flavilla Fritzwater, was born in Kentucky about 1822. His father, Preston Wright, was born in Missouri about 1820. They were married on 7/31/1845 in Washington County, Missouri. Their children (all born in Missouri) included: Charles Humble (born in 1846), Joseph M. (in 1848), and Cathrine M. (in 1850), John F. (about 1853), William (about 1855), and Preston Perry (in 1857).
At the time of the 1850 census (before John was born), his parents and 3 oldest siblings were living in Crawford County, Missouri where Preston was farming. Neighbors on both sides were also Wrights and are assumed to be Preston’s family.
During the 1860 census, John was 6 years old living with his parents and siblings in Harrison Mills, Liberty Township, Crawford County, Missouri. John’s dad was still farming, but on 2/11/1864 Preston died at the age of 41. John’s brother Joseph (about 15) died a week later on 2/188/1864. At that time, John was just about 10 years old.
In the census of 1870, John was working as a farm laborer and living in Liberty Township, Crawford County with his widowed mother, sister Catherine and two younger brothers. His brother Charles and Charles’ wife Mary Amanda Hughes Wright were farming next door. It is not known what became of John’s mother, sister Catherine or brother William after 1870.
Brother Charles moved to California in the 1870s and by 1879 he and his family were living in southern Oregon. At least by the early 1880s John and his brother Preston were also living near Charles in the area around Glide, in Douglas County in southern Oregon. John first appeared in the local newspaper in March 1884 in a short article that said he had been quite sick and had been convalescing at his brother’s home for the past 3 weeks. By May 1884 John was teaching at the Mount Scott school near Glide. In April 1885 John’s brother, 27 year old brother Preston, died while cutting trees on the Dixon ranch. He was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery.
John Wright was described in the newspaper as “one of Douglas County’s best school teachers.” In 1891 he was teaching in Peel, a little community near Glide along Little River. The article went on to explain that he had been committed to the Oregon State Insane Asylum, a residential facility in Salem for the treatment of people with mental illness. According to the article John had been “unwell for a couple of weeks and fainted in his school and since that time his reason has been dethroned except for short intervals.” The institution was relative new, having opened in October 1883. He was apparently released from the asylum after a short time and then re-admitted to the asylum on 6/26/1892.
In April 1893 he returned home to Peel from the institution and the newspaper reported, “He is in good health again.” John reintegrated into the community and became active in community life. By virtue of being a teacher he was referred to as Professor J. F. Wright. He gave a reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Glide Fourth of July celebration in 1896. In 1896-7 he taught in Elkton and in 1897-8 he taught in Lookingglass, both are small communities in Douglas County. After the summer of 1898 it seems he gave up teaching.
He pieced together a living with a variety of revenue. By 1899 John was Glide’s postmaster and grocer. He was known as “the one hoss grocery man” who had a “little cottage on the bank of the river opposite Lone Rock.” In September 1898 John and his brother Charles were among those who bid on the county contract to operate the Lone Rock Ferry. John bid $19 per month and Charles bid $25/month. The lowest bid was by J B McGhehey who offered to operate the ferry for $9.75 per month. It is not known who won the bid.
During the 1900 census John was living next door to his brother Charles and Charles’ family (wife Mary and 6 sons). John was serving as the postmaster and also being paid $10 every 2 months by the county for taking care of John Halter, a single 72 year old man who was described as a “pauper.” In lieu of having a poor farm, the county paid local citizens to assume the support of their indigent neighbors. In 1903 - 1905 John made frequent (every couple weeks) trips to visit Roseburg, a larger town about 17 miles to the west.
John seemed to be close with his nephews. In 1899 John was fundraising in the community with his nephew Walter to collect funds for a county-wide project to construct a soldiers’ memorial. In 1905 John and his nephews Perry and Ed were invited to participate in the Glide Lyceum, a newly formed debating club. In the first two debates John spoke on the affirmative side of both questions: “that country life is better than city life” and “that women have the rights of suffrage.” In August and September 1905, John and Charles along with 5 of Charles’ sons John Bell “JB,” Edgar “Ed”, Elmer, Burley and Perry went on a 3-week hunting trip in the Bohemia Mountains 55 miles from Glide in the Umpqua National Forest and killed 20 deer and 3 bears. After the trip he shared information with the newspaper about his observations about the fire danger and huckleberry harvest.
On 4/12/1907 John was re-admitted to the insane asylum in Salem that was later called the Oregon State Hospital. He was listed among the patients at the state hospital on the censuses of 1910 and 1920. His last hospitalization was 14 years long. He died at OSH on 6/14/1921. The cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis which he contacted at the hospital about December 1919. At that time TB was one of the ten major causes of death in the United States and was particularly a problem in facilities where large numbers of people were housed in close quarters. He was about 68 years old. He was single all his life.
John’s brother Charles died at his home in Glide on 1/14/1922 and was buried at the Oak Creek Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, 6 sons and an adopted daughter, Ella Atterbury. Charles and Mary had had 4 other children who died in childhood.∼Unclaimed thru OR.
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