MOWER COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

 

Biographical Sketch of

Ben Wright

There are few men living on the east side of the county better known than Ben Wright, of Frankford. He has pushed every obstacle aside and is a model farmer, conducting this business in a masterful way. He was born in New York, Feb. 1, 1837. When the boy was seven years old his parents brought him to Wisconsin, where he was raised. His education was limited and at the age of twenty-one he left home to work out by the month.

After a varied life of several years he returned home and remained until he enlisted. He joined Company C. 22d Wisconsin Infantry. He went south and in a few months was taken prisoner and sent to Libby. He remained there but a few days and was then paroled and came back into the Union lines. He was exchanged June 6 1863, and went home. He was sent to the hospital at Camp Randall, Madison, Wis., July 7, and in the fall transferred out of the hospital to the veteran corps. He received his discharge July 3, '65. He was still unmarried, and went home to spend the winter.

He came to Frankford in 1866 and worked out, as he had no land or means to buy any. In the spring of 1868 he brought the farm which he now owns, paying on part of the purchase price 16 per cent, interest and paid 12 per cent. On what ran until the farm was cleared. He married in the fall of '68 and first lived in a grout house, and now owns 800 acres, free of debt, a large stock of horses and cattle, a barn capable of holding 300 tons of hay, two large wind mills and a running creek, splendid machinery and good improvements generally.

Personally he is a man of inflexible integrity. He has never taken any great interest in politics but a staunch Republican. He is a G. A. R. man and a Mason, taking great interest in both orders.


Submitted to MnGenWeb by Darrel K. Waters