Civil War Veteran, former owner of a general store and Postmaster of Harrisonville, NJ. Married Elizabeth Ann Dickinson on 3/19/1874. Father of J. Harrington, William, Preston and Edna. Brother of Oliver H. Wriggins (FAG #158433241).

Published in Woodstown newspaper "The Monitor-Register" on Thursday, February 23, 1922:

"Who's Who In Salem Co. -- John Wriggins --

John Wriggins was born on March 8th, 1845, in Mannington Township, Salem County, N. J. When he was nine years of age his father gave up farming and moved to Woodstown, where he attended public school. When about sixteen years of age he entered Ephraim Water's store at Battentown, near Swedesboro, in the capacity of clerk, and was there at the beginning of the War of the Rebellion in 1861. He stayed in Water's store about a year, and then returned to Woodstown to attend William Reed's private school. His next venture was employment with the firm of Stoddard & Brother, on Second Street, Philadelphia, as a clerk. While serving in this store, the firm made the announcement that all employees who enlisted in the army would be given half pay while in the service and would have their positions back when they returned, and accordingly young Wriggins enlisted in the 196th Pennsylvania Volunteers, at the age of nineteen years.

When he mustered out of the army Mr. Wriggins re-entered the employment of Stoddard & Brother, and shortly afterward with what money he had received from the War Department, together with the half wages received from his employers, which amounted to about four hundred dollars, quit his position with that firm and bought the general store at Sharptown, N. J.

His next enterprise was the purchase of a store at Harrisonville, where he remained for twenty-five years. During his residence at Harrisonville, Mr. Wriggins took an active interest in the public affairs of the town and served as secretary of the Woodstown-Mullica Hill Turnpike Company, until it disbanded; and as collector for South Harrisonville Township for fourteen years.

During McKinley's administration, he was appointed postmaster of Harrisonville, and remained in that office until the year 1897, when he sold the store and moved to Woodstown. At Woodstown, Mr. Wriggins engaged in the poultry business for a short time, and in 1900 bought the shoe business of Frank Wright, conducted by the latter for many years. After a successful career in the shoe business, Mr. Wriggins, in 1912, retired from active management of the business and turned over the same to his son, P. LeGrand Wriggins, who had been associated with his father in this enterprise since 1900. Though the business was being run by Mr. Wriggins, Jr., since 1912, John Wriggins was more or less actively engaged in it until 1917 at which time he retired permanently.

The business founded by Mr. Wriggins is one of Woodstown's oldest and most reliable concerns, and is a great matter of pride to the originator.

Mr. Wriggins will celebrate his seventy-seventh birthday next Wednesday. He is a remarkable man for his age. Keen of sight and hearing and with a remarkable faculty for remembering things, his company is one that is pleasant to a great degree, and that, together with his record of service to his country in it's time of need, makes him one of our valuable citizens."