Worth Wright
1851 - 1904
By: Roger Kemps © 2010
With contributions from William Worth Kemps Jr. and William Wayne McCall.
(Reuben) Worth Wright was born in January 1851 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He died on March 22, 1904, at age 53, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Worth’s father was Thomas Wright Wright (1818 – 11/1890) who was born in Ohio. Thomas’ father was born in Maryland and his mother in Pennsylvania. Thomas was a lumber merchant and from 1859 to the 1870s, the family lived in Jacksonville , Illinois. Thomas was buried on November 5, 1890 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Worth’s mother was Laura Ann Worth (8/1821 – 2/1912) who came to Indiana from Guilford County, North Carolina with her parents by covered wagon. See family_jar.pdf. Laura was descended from John Howland, a Mayflower pilgrim. She was buried on February 28, 1912 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Worth Wright was one of 9 children. His siblings included:
· Joel Lindley (J.L.) was born in April 1847 and was buried on November 29, 1915 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
· Mary W. Howland was born in February 1849 and was buried on May 22, 1923 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
· Charles Sumner was born in November 1852 and was buried on June 21, 1904 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
· Wilbur Toby was born in October 1856 and was buried on November 12, 1932 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
· Thomas Kleber was born in 1859 and was buried on December 6, 1880 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
· Blucher was born in 1859 in Illinois and was the twin sister of Kleber. She died in Jacksonville, Illinois prior to 1870.
· Laura Elizabeth (Lizzie) was born in 1863 and was buried on May 6, 1893 in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Worth Wright married Helen Hammond (8/22/1857 – 5/7/1885) of Indianapolis, Indiana. Worth and Helen had one child:
Edna Hammond Wright Kemps (1/24/1885 – 7/10/1954)
When Edna was 3 ½ months old, Helen died. Edna then lived with her father, Worth Wright, and her maternal grandmother, Martha Francis Hammond.
The Wright family owned a successful real estate business.
The 1900 Census shows Worth and Edna living with her maternal grandmother. Her grandmother, Martha Francis Hammond, died in May of 1903.
Worth Wright was descended from Mayflower pilgrim John Howland. The thread is: Worth Wright -> Laura Ann Worth -> Reuben M Worth -> Job Worth -> Daniel Worth -> Lydia Gorham -> Shubael Gorham -> Desire Howland -> JOHN HOWLAND
Worth Wright died on March 22, 1904 when an iron cornice fell from a building and struck him in the head. This was reported in the Elkhart Daily Review on March 23, 1904 (lower right corner). He was buried on March 24, 1904 in Crown Hill Cemetery (Section 36 Lot 156) in Indianapolis, Indiana. For an image of his headstone, see this link.
Reference files:
1860_Thomas_Wright.pdf see lines 28 – 36
1870_Thomas_Wright.pdf see lines 12 – 20
1880_Worth_Wright.pdf see lines 31 – 38
1900_Edna_Wright.pdf see lines 70 – 72
1900_Charles_Wright.pdf see lines 16 & 20
1900_Wilbur_Wright.pdf see line 1
1900_Laura_Wright.pdf see lines 5 – 9
1910_Laura_Wright.pdf see lines 15 – 17
1910_Wilbur_Wright.pdf see lines 51 – 57
1920_Charles_Howland.pdf see lines 89 – 91
1920_Wilbur_Wright.pdf see lines 10 – 17
1930 Wilbur Wright.jpg see lines 45 – 47
1940 Charles Howland.jpg see line 17
Elkhart Daily Review on March 23, 1904 lower right corner
Worth Wright Burial Permit.pdf
Indianapolis News 05071885 p3 c3.pdf Helen Hammond Wright Death Notice
Crown Hill Cemetery Website All of the above, except Worth and Helen, are buried in Section 36, Lot 157.
FindAGrave.com headstone image
Shirley Kelly Research
The following photographs were provided by Wayne McCall
Real_estate_office.jpg Worth Wright outside J.L. Wright & Co. Real Estate.
1streunion.jpg This photo was taken on the 50th Anniversary of the Powell Howland family arrival in Indianapolis and includes Edna, Worth, Martha, Martha’s brothers Elisha J. Howland and Charles Abraham Howland, and other descendants of Powell Howland, Edna’s great grandfather.
1streunion_ID.jpg above photo with additional identifications, courtesy of Shirley Kelly.
lgfamgp.jpg large family group includes Edna, Worth & Martha.
lgfamgp2.jpg large family group includes Edna, Worth & Martha.
family jar.pdf a wine decanter brought from North Carolina by the Worth family.
Hammond_Wright_house.jpg house originally built by Rezin R. Hammond.
Houseart.pdf newspaper article about the Hammond Wright house.
homestead.jpg the Powell Howland (Edna’s maternal great grandfather) family farm house.
bathers.jpg Charles Berry Howland (Worth’s brother-in-law), Mary Wright Howland (Worth’s sister) and Lida Jane Howland Stackhouse (Charles’ first cousin) at the beach in 1922.
2GonSWNG.jpg two unidentified women on a swing.
two_girls.jpg believed to be Helen Hammond and her older sister, Julia.
Gdk_bkgd.jpg believed to be Helen Hammond.
1Mw_hat.jpg an unidentified man.
M_horses.jpg an unidentified man with horses.
The following photograph was provided by Jacqueline Cooper
Mary Wright Howland is a photo of Worth's sister
Last updated 11/17/2020