A. F. Wright, one of the leading farmers and stockmen of Butler county, comes from an old American family and traces his ancestry back to Revolutionary days, his great grandfather having been a soldier in Washington's army in the struggle for Independence. A. F. Wright was born in Buchanan county, Missouri, in August, 1851, and is a son of Joseph T. and Mary J. (Faubion) Wright. Joseph T. Wright came to Kansas when it was a territory. He was a native of Indiana, born in 1838, and settled in Leavenworth county, Kansas, in 1854. He was an early day freighter across the plains, and after coming to Butler county in 1873, followed farming and stock raising, exclusively. To Joseph T. and Mary J. (Faubion) Wright were born the following children: A. F., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Polly E. Rudlof, Howard, Kans.; F. M., Latham, Kans.; Mrs. Sarah A. Brenton, Latham, Kans.; Mrs. Mary J. Vance, Sedee, Okla.; Mrs. Nancy Harring, Cabool, Mo.; Joseph T., Latham, Kans., and S. S., Latham, Kans.

A. F. Wright came to Butler county in 1873, and since that time, has been engaged in farming and stock raising, and is one of the extensive and successful stock raisers of the county. His farm consists of 1,000 acres of valuable land, located just south of Beaumont. Mr. Wright is one of the pioneer stockmen of Butler county whose efforts have contributed to giving Butler county the just reputation of being the greatest cattle producing county in the State of Kansas, if not in the entire West.

Mr. Wright was married in 1881 to Miss Mary I. Vanzandt, a daughter of James and Margaret B. (Swain) Vanzandt of Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Wright have been born the following children: Mrs. Sadie A. Westfall, was born in 1882, and died in 1910; C. D., born in 1883, resides at Beaumont, Kans.; Mrs. Laura E. Hobkirk, born in 1885, resides at Latham, Kans.; W. F., born in 1891, Beaumont, Kans.; Mrs. Ella Fillmore, born in 1891, resides at Beaumont; James E., born in 1893; Esther J., born in 1898, died in 1899; Elmer F., born in 1897, resides at Beaumont, and F. R., born in 1901, and died in 1904.

Mr. Wright came to Butler county in the early days of the development of this section, and experienced all the trials, hardships and un-

certainties of pioneer life in this county. Deer were plentiful when he came here, and herds of buffalo could still be seen now and then, but they disappeared shortly afterward, going still farther west. Prairie chickens and other small game were in abundance, and Mr. Wright remembers having seen one herd of elk after coming to this county. Wandering bands of Indians frequently passed through Butler county, and Mr. Wright has seen as many as 150 in one band. There were many inconveniences in those days, and Mr. Wright recalls many of the early day misfortunes, including prairie fires, drouths, grasshoppers, etc.

He remembers the time when markets were a long distance away, prices low and money scarce. He has driven cattle as far as Leavenworth to market, a distance of about 200 miles. He has hauled to El Dorado, a distance of over twenty-five miles, hogs which he sold for less than a cent and a half per pound. Their nearest doctor in the early days was thirty miles away, but Mr. Wright always had faith in the future possibilities of Butler county, and has lived to see his expectations realized, and while, by his thrift and industry, he has been accumulating a competence for himself, he has been a dominant factor in the upbuilding and development of his adopted county, of which he is justly proud.

Mr. and Mrs. Wright have ten grandchildren, and their children live near enough that they often have family reunions, at which they have enjoyable times.

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