History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Ed Wright
ED. WRIGHT was born at Salem, Ohio, June 27, 1827. His education was acquired in the public schools and academies and he became a teacher and a carpenter. In 1852 he removed to Iowa, locating in Cedar County. In 1856 he was elected to the House of the Sixth General Assembly, was reëlected in 1857 and again in 1859, serving six years. In 1862 he was appointed major of the Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry and served through the war. He was a brave, vigilant and popular officer and was brevetted Brigadier-General. In 1865 he was again elected to the Legislature and chosen Speaker of the House. In 1866 he was elected Secretary of State and twice reëlected, serving six years. In 1873 he was chosen secretary of the Board of Capitol Commissioners and assistant superintendent of the construction of the State House. He held these positions until the work was completed in 1884 when he was appointed custodian of the new edifice. He held this office until 1890 when he was placed in charge of the Capitol grounds. At the World's Columbian Exposition General Wright conducted a directory for furnishing information to visitors from Iowa. In 1895 he was appointed a member of the board of public works for the city of Des Moines which position he held at the time of his death. Iowa never had a more useful and conscientious public officer than General Ed. Wright. When his death occurred on the 6th of December, 1895, his body lay in state at the Capitol where thousands of citizens paid their respects to the man who served the State so well for nearly half a century.