DR. REUBEN WRIGHT is the senior member of the firm of R. Wright & Son, proprietors of a large and profitable dairy business of El Paso. A native of Indiana, he was born near Kendallville in Noble county, in 1837. His father was born in the state of Vermont and married in New York state, and latter settled in Indiana in 1835, becoming a successful farmer and dairyman of Noble county. There upon the homestead farm Dr. Wright was reared, his elementary education being acquired in country schools, while later he continued his studies in Kendallville, the family home being about six miles distant from that town. Thinking to make the practice of medicine his life work he began a student in the office and under the direction of Dr. G. Errickson, of Kendallville, and after being licensed to practice he entered upon the active work of his profession in his home neighborhood, maintaining his office at first in his father’s house. There he remained in the active practice of medicine until 1871, when his health failed to such an extent that it was necessary for him to seek a more congenial climate and he made his way to southwest Missouri, settling in Lawrence county, where he practiced medicine for about three years. He then started to Texas, traveling by team through the Indian Territory, once again seeking a more congenial climate because of his health. He passed through the present site of Denison before the establishment of the village and on through central Texas to the southwest portion of the state, locating in Kerr county, northwest of San Antonio. There was no railroad to San Antonio in those days and in fact there were few railroads in the state, Kerr county consisting mostly of an open range devoted to the cattle business, and Dr. Wright determined to give his time to that industry. His life for the next few years was filled with the danger and excitement incidental to frontier cattle industry, the greater danger being from Indians who made periodical raids bent on stealing cattle and stopping not at murder in order to accomplish their ends. Thus life was continually menaced and great fear was experienced by the women of the household who were fathers and sons herded the cattle on the plains. There were many notoriously rough characters who used the unbroken country north of the Rio Grande as a hiding place. Dr. Wright afterward took his outfit into Edward county and began raising sheep as well as cattle. He made his way still further west into Val Verde county and along the upper Rio Grande into the Devil’s river and Pecos country, much of which district is especially adapted to sheep raising. In 1886 he located in El Paso county, twenty-five miles down the valley from El Paso, where he acquired and still owns a fine ranch there of seven hundred acres. Making his home on the ranch, he was actively engaged in the stock business until August, 1902, when he removed to El Paso and since that time has established the well known dairy of R. Wright & Son, his partner being his son, Ernest Wright. They own about two hundred head of fine stock and conduct a large and successful business to this line.
Dr. Wright was married in Noble county, Indiana, to Miss Sarah Anne Willetts, and both their children, Ernest and Mrs. Ollie Amanda Lewis, who is the wife of a prominent cattle man, were born in that county. Ernest Wright was married in this county to Miss Mary Patterson, and they have two children, Pearl and Charles. In the management of their business interests the father and son are meeting with very creditable and gratifying success. Dr. Wright has retired permanently from the active practice of medicine and through his outdoor life in Texas he has regained his health. A liberal patronage is accorded the firm and the success which they now enjoy is indication of their practical and progressive methods.
Source: B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol. II, pp. 506-507.