 Submitted to Footprints by: Marcy Feltnberger mfeltnbrgr@aol.com ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS By Warder W. Stevens of Many of the Old Families. Illustrated 1916 B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana ELI M. WRIGHT, farmer, of Washington county, Indiana, was born on the farm where he has since lived in Washington township, three miles southwest of Salem, July 7, 1849. He is a son of ADAM H. and ELIZABETH (COLLIER) WRIGHT, the former also born on the same farm in 1824. Adam H. Wright was a brother of PHILBIRD MARION WRIGHT, and included in the sketch of the latter's life is a record of the earlier Wright families. The property on which Eli M. Wright makes his home, containing some one hundred and fifty-seven acres, has never been out of the possession of the Wright family. His grandfather entered it from the government and passed his remaining days on it, while his father's entire life was passed there, and Eli M. Wright bids fair to number out his days on the old home place, dear to the memory of the entire family. ADAM H. WRIGHT gave most of the active years of his life to farming the home place and also engaged in saw-milling. During the latter forties he had a sash saw-mill operated by water power from Blue river and continued there until 1857, when he rented the mill and he and his brother, MARION, operated a portable saw-mill for two or three years. ELIZABETH COLLIER, wife of Adam H. Wright, was born about eight miles west of Salem, in Vernon township, on the place where LEWIS CARTER resides at present. She was a daughter of JAMES and SARAH (LOCKWOOD) COLLIER, the former coming with his parents to this section from the present site of Lexington, Kentucky. The family settled in the western part of Washington county and Indians were numerous about them. There were also many wild animals and when the mother of the family milked the cows, James had to stand over her with a rifle to drive away the panthers and other prowling beasts. There were no schools which the lad might attend and he got his education by studying at night in company with his mother while she operated her spinning wheel, all in the flickering light of the candle or tallow dip. He chose as his wife SARAH, or "SALLY" LOCKWOOD, who came here with her people from North Carolina. Eli M. Wright is the eldest of a family of four children, the others being W. B., MARY C., widow of GEORGE HAGEMAN, and a child who died in infancy. Adam Wright died in 1901 and his wife preceded him a few years, passing away in 1890. Eli M. Wright has been engaged in farming the home place all the active years of his life, and assisted his father until the time of his death. In 1902 Mr. Wright built the house in which he lives on the southern part of the farm. This is a comfortable dwelling and both it and the land testify to the care and thriftiness of the owner. In the summer of 1892 Mr. Wright suffered a sunstroke and for four years he was compelled to give up his farm work. During those years he traded in live stock, but so far recovered as to be albe to resume his duties as agriculturist. On February 28, 1908, Eli M. Wright married STELLA SPAULDING, born about two miles south of her present home, a daughter of SILAS and CELIA (SIMPSON) SPAULDING. Silas Spaulding was born on March 27, 1838, in Washington township, south of Salem. He is a son of LANDRUM and ELIZABETH (JACKSON) SPAULDING, the former of whom came to this section from Kentucky when a young man, while Elizabeth Jackson was brought here from Virginia by her parents. Landrum Spaulding was a farmer most of his life, but he was a shoemaker by trade and in those days all shoes were made to order. Silas Spaulding has lived all his life in Washington county, engaged in farming for many years. He retired from the active duties of life some time ago and now resides on a small farm of twenty-five and one-half acres in the northern part of Pierce township. Silas Spaulding was married on May 10, 1861, to CELIA SIMPSON, born in Washington county, a daughter of OBADIAH and CYNTHIA (NOLAN) SIMPSON, both of whom were born in North Carolina, where they married and soon afterwards came to this county, locating in the western part of Pierce township, where they passed their remaining days and both lie buried in the Wilson graveyard near their old home. Silas Spaulding and wife are the parents of two sons and two daughters, the eldest of the family being STELLA FLORENCE, wife of the subject of this sketch; GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, of Salem; HENRY F. FRANKLIN, also of Salem, and MELISSA ALDORA, wife of FRANK WINGLER, living near her father's home. Silas Spaulding was a member of Company C, Fifty-eighth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served throughout the Civil War. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, at Salem. Mr. Spaulding is a Democrat, but never aspired to office.  Please place in the Subject Line: WEBPAGE-HISTORY 
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