Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-11-12
AMMI WILLARD WRIGHT.
From the Magazine of Western History.


The unwritten history of the Great
West contains many characters of rea
worth and excellence. furnishing sucl
practical Illustrations of the value t
society of the cardinal virtues in bust
ness life. as 10 make it desirable To TT.
cord the more important examples OF
personal integrity and success for the
high purposes of instruction and honor
able cOmmendation. Men who live in
the eye olthe public as incumbents of Of
nee, conferred 10y Suilrages of the peO-
pie, reach places i'm history by the force
Of circumstances. rs well rs 10y person
al worth and the faithful employment
Of great abilities for the good of the ma
hon. Men in business life can only
rise into prominence and become OBJ
jects OF high consideration i'm public cS-
tlmation 10y the development OF the no.
blest attributes of manhood i'm enter
prises that largely effect the Well-being
Of communities. The accidents of birth
and fortune and the adyantitious aids
Of chance and circumstance can do lit
tie to give those men position in hiStO-
~ whose resources are within the linn
its Of their brains and their hands.
The subject of this paper finds an APP
propriate place in the history of those
men of business and enterprise i'm the
state of Michigan. whose force of char
acter, whose sterling integrity. whose
fortltude amid diScOuragements whose
good sense in the management of com
pllcated affairs. whose control of agen-
CleS ana circumstances. and whose
marked success IN establishing large in
dustrleS and bringing to completion
great schemes OF trade and profit, have
contributed IN an eminent degree To the
development of the vast resources of
this noble commonwealth.
The biographical data in Mr.. Wright's
history claim brief space. He was
born in Grafton. Windham Co.. Yer
mont, July >. $50. Ills parents were
natives of the same Green Mountain
State" He justly regards with pride
and satisfaction his New England par
entage, and has the strongest attach
nents to his native state. The love of
freedom. the independence of charac-
ter. the stern virtues of patriotism. and
obedience to law and authority. that
characterize her people. belong 10 him
as one on her WOrthlcst sons. The his
tory. the Institutions and the Reyoh-
nonary memories that associate the
Green Mountains with all that is
dear and precious i'm the story of Amer
lean independence. serve To MAKE Mr.. f.
Wright recOllectionS of his early life
benedlctiOn upon his heart. His faith
ers family, comprising seven sons and
three daughters. after the good old New
England type. removed to Rockingham.
Vermont, where he received his t,ltlca-
ton al the district hool. his school life
closing at the age of seventeen. The
next three years of his life were spent
In farm work. where the soil and eli
mate made rigid economy and thor
oughneSS necessary To success. and
where he acquired real love for apri-
culture and a manly admiration of fine
horses and fine stock. Exchanging the
country for the city ne resided i'm BoS-
ton for year, learning primary bust
ness lessons IN the school of experience
under the tutorship of his own mother
Wit, and making the worlds acquaint-
ance amid scenes and eXcitementS and
activities calculated To start his mind
into new methods of action. Returning
% Vermont IN lSii. before the ace of
railroad enterprise and rapid transit
had changed the old ways of doing bus
mess and making money. heengaged in
the carrying trade between Rutland and
Boston. taking produce from the coup-
try to the great city and bringing back ;
goods To the village mer-
chants. Two years of activity i'm this ;
line, in which he accumulated some capi- !
tai, ended his transportation business
for the present, and the next wear he |
hotel in Bartonsville. for !
Jeremiah Barton. and i'm lSis married I
MISS Harriet Barton. the eldest daugh- !
ter OF his employer. and leased his no. c
tel. \ year afterwards he moved to
Boston and leased the Central IIotelon i
brattle Square. but IN It few months [
concluded to leave the east and seek il
his fortune and make his home i'm the il
vest. HIS various changes and expert c
'nccs III incipient business life qualified n
linn for larger field in which his ener- e
r., self relience and restless ambition s.
Tere TO find their appropriate sphere of G.
iction, and To work out results far sur- G
passing his fondest dreams and eXpec- {
8tions. +,
The summer of 1870 found Mr.. b
Wright and his family in Detroit. then a
small undeveloped city which togeth- Il
II with the whole county of Wayne en- e
raced population of 42.756. It is n
low one of the most beautiful cities i'm fC
he mon with population of l5O. 900. al
ilchlgan at that time was astate whose u
esources were quite unknown. The III
lumber, salt. copper and iron interests Ii
xisted only in embryo. The Central Il.
abroad had reached New Buffalo. The II,
iichigan Southern was i'm process of al
instruction. The Detroit and Grand hi
Iaven extended twenty-five miles to p,
'ontiac. The whole number of miles of
railroad was three hundred and for an
y-two. The miles of railroad now i'm at
ne state amount to about seven thous-
nd. The population of the state i'm W
$50 was 397. 754. Ii now numbers i'll
bout two million. hi
Among our manufacturing industries tu
mber took the lead. and the Saginaw IN
alley soon became the chief seat of ha
ne lumber interest Mr. Wright fixed OF
s eye on this business as his leading en-
ID permanent occupation. and i'm ls1l W;
; came 10 Saginaw. Saginaw county Is,
Ell embraced what is now included i'm ha
ventccn organized counties. having "A an
pulation of only about two thousand. W