1925 Biography - Abraham Wright
Reverend Abraham Wright was born in New York June 21, 1818, was raised in Indiana and Ohio. He said he was called to preach at the age of ten years but resisted the call until 1835, when he was licensed to preach in Kentucky. He was a minister for sixty-five years, and gives as a summary of his life work that he preached to one million people, visited five hundred thousand, traveled two hundred thousand miles; a great deal of which was done before the days of railroads, preached ten thousand sermons and witnessed the conversion of at least twenty thousand people, and as he said "Helping just a little". He came to Vienna in 1867, edited the "Vienna Artery" several years and was postmaster under Grant. He not only followed journalism but preached in different sections in the county, in fact in every place where there was a church or need of the Gospel. He had a young daughter, Emma, who understood music, and he also possessed a small melodeon which could easily be taken down and set up. It was his practice on Sundays to take his daughter and the melodeon in his buggy and hie away to his appointment. The instrumental music was a novely to the people of the country, and proved a great attraction for his services. He was a good singer himself and no doubt much and lasting good was done through the music, and his presentation of the Gospel message. Mr. Wright lived to be almost ninety years old and died in Florida. He was an exemplary Christian, strong prohibitionist, and left his impress on the world. His children were Wilson, Emma R., John, Mattie, William, and Ollie Three of his sons were M. E. ministers. John W. Wright became very prominent as such in the Iowa Conference. Emma R. married M. A. Smith, resides in Jacksonville, Fla. Mattie married Mr. Coats and resides at Licking, Mo. The sons are dead.
Extracted 08 Feb 2017 by Norma Hass from 1925 A History of Johnson County, Illinois, by Mrs. P. T. Chapman, pages 471-472.
