Joel B. Wright, a retired farmer now residing in Fairmount, Grant county, Indiana, was born in east Tennessee, near Greeneville, July 7, 1832, and is a son of Jesse and Charity (Reese) Wright, both natives of the state last named.

        To Jesse and Charity Wright, the former of whom was a practicing physician, there were born ten children, as follows: Joel B., Elizabeth Jane, Phebe Ann, Jemima Ruth, Peter Harmon, John M., Melinda, Margaret, Adeline and David William. These children all reached mature years save one, and all have been called away excepting Joel B., of this sketch, and his brother, John M., a practicing physician in Texas, and who lives in the path of the disastrous storm that recently devastated Galveston and other parts of the Lone Star state. David William was the only one of the family born in Grant county, Indiana; Peter Harmon was a practicing physician in Fairmount for several years and here died; all his daughters, except Jemima and Mary, were married and left families.

        The Wright family all came to Grant county, Indiana, in 1855, excepting the youngest child, who was born here, as stated above. They settled in Little Ridge settlement, four miles from Fairmount, on a tract of land in the dense wilderness, and here the sons passed their early years in clearing up a farm.

        Joel B. Wright received a good education in the common schools of his native state, and was there married February 1, 1854, to Miss Sarah J. Beals, also a native of Greene county, Tennessee, and to this union were born five children, viz.: Abner J., who died unmarried when about thirty years old; Cornelius died when three years old; Milton died of typhoid fever at the age of nineteen years; Charles died in infancy; and Serena M. is now the wife of Leroy Jay, a retired farmer, living in Hamilton county, Indiana.

        Mrs. Sarah J. (Beals) Wright died in Fairmount in 1873 and her mortal remains were interred in Little Ridge cemetery, where two of her children are also buried. Mr. Wright next married Harriet Hite, who died eighteen months later of consumption, leaving one child, who passed away shortly afterward, afflicted with the same disease.

        June 12, 1875, Mr. Wright married his third and present wife, Mrs. Adeline E. Haisley, whose maiden name was Howell, and who was born in Clinton county, Ohio. Two children were born to this last mentioned marriage, but both are now deceased.

        On coming to Indiana Mr. Wright engaged in the milling business, sawing lumber and grinding grain; he later was employed in a woolen mill for a couple of years, and for the next four years was a shoe merchant in Fairmount. On marrying his present wife Mr. Wright disposed of his stock of merchandise and took upon himself the management of his wife's farm, which he conducted about fourteen years.

        About 1889 Mr. Wright and family came to Fairmount to live, but here he was not engaged in any special business. He has served as administrator of several estates, makes collections, pays taxes, deals in real estate, etc. He has been one of the trustees of the Fairmount Academy for nearly thirteen years and in this capacity has handled considerably property.

        In politics Joel B. Wright was a Republican from the formation of that party until 1884, when he allied himself with the Prohibition party, to which he still continues to be loyal. He has never sought a public office, yet he has filled several of the minor offices of his township as a matter of public duty or patriotism. He was at one time a "know-nothing," and this was the only secret order with which he ever affiliated. With his wife and daughter he is a member of the Society of Friends, as were his parents before him.

        The paternal grandparents of Joel B. Wright were of English extraction, and in an early day removed from South Carolina to Tennesee; the paternal grandmother was of German descent.