A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
History
A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time: A Collection of Persons Distinguished in Professional and Political Life, Leaders in the Commerce and Industry of Canada, and Successful Pioneers
=Wright, Aaron A.=, of the firm of Barr & Wright, General Merchants,
Renfrew, Ontario. This gentleman, who is one of the bulwarks of the
Reform party in Central Ontario, was born near Farmersville, county of
Leeds, June 6th, 1840. He comes of U. E. loyalist stock, his grandfather
and grandmother on both sides being U. E. loyalists. His father, Israel
Wright, was a native of Leeds county, and his mother as well, her maiden
name being Stevens, a daughter of Abel Stevens. Our subject was educated
in a public school of his native country, and also in a select school
under John B. Holmes. In 1864 Mr. Wright entered the Normal School,
Toronto, and obtained a first-class certificate there. After this he
became head master of the Gananoque Public School. In 1866 he entered
the Military College at Montreal, and obtained a first-class military
certificate of the highest grade. Soon afterwards he succeeded in
obtaining a first-class Model School certificate for French and English
for Lower Canada. Late in the same year he was appointed principal of
the Model School at Lachine, and the Fenian troubles of that time
impelled him to organize the Lachine company of light infantry, of which
he was gazetted captain. These positions he held until his removal to
Renfrew, in 1870, where he entered mercantile pursuits, which still
engage his attention. Mr. Wright, ever since his settlement in Renfrew,
has always taken an active interest in all matters relating to the
welfare of the village and county. When he first came the place was
entirely without railway communication, and he soon became prominent in
an agitation to extend the line of the Canada Central to that point; the
terminus at that time being at Sand Point, some sixteen miles distant.
Mr. Wright addressed meetings, organized deputations, &c., until the
point was carried and Renfrew was made the terminus of the road. Since
that time, however, the Canada Central has become merged in the vast
system of the Canadian Pacific. This was not by any means all of Mr.
Wright’s railroad experience, for when the Kingston and Pembroke line
was mooted, he took a lively interest in the scheme, which is now
completed from Kingston to Renfrew. In politics, Mr. Wright is an ardent
supporter of the Mowat government and of Mr. Blake. When the Reform
Association for the south riding of Renfrew was organized, in 1875 or
1876, Mr. Wright was elected first vice-president, which position he
holds to this day. He has often been urged to allow his name to be used
for parliamentary honours, but, unfortunately, has persistently refused,
business men of his calibre being sadly lacking in our legislative
halls. Mr. Wright is the president of the County of Renfrew
Horticultural Society, and has held that office since its inception four
years ago; he is also director for division No. 2 of the Fruit Growers’
Association of the province of Ontario. For the past twelve years he has
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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