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SOURCE: History of Genesee County, Michigan
        pub. Everts and Abbott - 1879
        
        Page f184
        
                                 IRA D. WRIGHT
              IRA D. WRIGHT, one of the founders of the city of Flint,
           was born in Washington, N.H., August 3, 1809.  His father
           WILLIAM WRIGHT, moved with his family to Genesee Co., N.Y.,
           where he carried on the business of farming, in connection
           with tanning and shoemaking, until 1837, when he died, leaving
           four sons and three daughters.
              In 1834, IRA D. WRIGHT, ROBERT F. STAGE, and A. C. STEVENS
           came to Flint, and purchased some three thousand acres of
           land in Genesee County, including a tract of two hundred
           acres which embraced what is now a portion of the city of
           Flint, lying between Court Street and the river, and east
           of Saginaw Street.  Upon this land no improvements had been
           made.  They at once employed men to clear a portion of this
           tract, and returned to the State of New York.
              The next spring Mr. STAGE and Mr. WRIGHT came on and
           commenced the improvement of their property.  In October,
           1835, they opened the first general store in the county,
           at Grand Blanc, and were thus engaged until a suitable
           building could be erected at Flint, which was done, and
           the goods moved to Flint the following June.  This building
           had an upper room where the pioneers, without regard to
           sect or creed, met for their deliberations.
              Messrs. STAGE and WRIGHT have also the honor of erect-
           ing the first building for school purposes in Flint.  This
           was a board shanty, twelve by sixteen feet, erected in 1836,
           on the east side of Saginaw Street.  They employed Miss
           PHILINDA OVERTON, and furnished free education to the 
           rising pioneers.  There was an attendance of twelve scholars,
           and the school was maintained for two terms, when a school-
           house was erected.  About this time they built a saw-mill
           where the old mill now stands, just above Hamilton's flour-
           ing-mill.  This was the first mill on the Flint River.
              In 1840, Messrs. STAGE, WRIGHT, PAYNE and MORRISON,
           built a large mill on the north side of the river, on the
           site now occupied by the Crapo mill.  This they operated
           for six or seven years, when Mr. WRIGHT turned his attention
           to dealing in lands.  He was appointed timber agent for
           the government, the duties of which office took him through
           all the forests of Michigan, giving him a valuable experience.
           He made several trips with Prof. Houghton, and assisted in
           selecting the Salt Springs lands, the Internal Improvement
           lands, and others.
              In 1853 he moved to the farm where he now resides, -
           adjoining the city, -- and since that time has made farming
           his avocation.
              In 1842 he was married to Miss MARIETTA INGERSOLL, 
           daughter of PETER INGERSOLL, who settled in Oakland County
           in 1836; was a soldier in the war of 1812, and participated
           in all the battles of the frontier under Gen. SCOTT; the 
           last few years of his life were spent with his daughter,
           Mrs. WRIGHT; he died April, 1869, in his seventy-eighth year.
           
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