I have always had an interest in Frank Lloyd Wright as an architect. His story is of a genius on this earth long before his time. He helped changed architecture in the United States. Wright’s story is complex from his beginning with his talent marveled yet today. His personal life was just as complex as some of his architectural plans.
Imagine my surprise when listening to Iowa Public Radio on my commute home when an expose about the talents of Frank Lloyd Wright’s father, William Carey Wright, as a composer was told in a lengthy broadcast. Imagine another surprise when I discovered a Benton County connection to this intriguing family. But there is was and I am sure many others in our county are unaware of this connection.
The radio spot showcased William’s pieces recorded for first time by music historian David Patterson. The link to the broadcast with small segments of Wright’s music can be heard at http://iowapublicradio.org/post/composer-and-architect. And that is when it happened- my discovery of the link between the Wrights and Benton County. One of the persons who provided background for the radio piece was Mary Rogers who hails from Vinton, a great-great granddaughter of Wright’s. Her mother, Hope Rogers, also from Vinton, is William Wright’s great-granddaughter. Hope was a former Benton County Supervisor. Another great-great-grandson, Richard Heller lives in neighboring Marengo.
The Internet is a powerful tool for research and after doing a cursory search of the Wright name, a complex family history emerged. In addition, the Benton County Historical Society Genealogy Department located at the Society’s Horridge House in Vinton, has a copy of Hope Roger’s book, Grandpa Wright, (1976) provided another perspective.
William Carey Wright was born on January 2, 1825 in Westfield, Hampden, MA to David and Abigail (Goodard) Wright. His father was a minister which might be the reason that one of William’s professions was that of a traveling preacher in Wisconsin and Iowa. William immersed himself in learning with degrees from Amherst College in music, medicine, and law. (Rogers, 1976). He married Permelia Holcomb in 1851 and produced five children in a twelve year marriage that ended with her death after the birth of their fifth child and the second child to die as an infant. Of the three remaining children, Charley, George, and Elizabeth, only Elizabeth appears in any resources I found.
Both William and Permelia loved music, although they had different tastes, their home was surrounded by the sound of music. Two years after Permelia’s death, William married Anna Jones in 1865 who was the opposite of Permelia’s soft and loving personality. Anna and William produced three children Frank, Jennie, and Margret.
It was rumored that Anna set her sights on William for the security of a home, but she was not an enthusiastic homemaker and did not appreciate giving up her income as a teacher to marry with the demands of the being a minister’s wife. She had a ferocious temper that was hidden before their marriage according to Elizabeth, who wrote in her memoir that Anna was sweet to William’s children until they were married when Elizabeth was the recipient of Anna’s rage.
Anna was obsessed with producing a son who would become an architect and when her first-born was indeed a son, Frank became the center of her life and being. Even the two subsequent daughters did not receive the same amount of attention and doting that Frank did.
Elizabeth became the target of a very unstable, mean, and abusive Anna. When her father was away on his ministering assignments, Anna would be particular abusive to Elizabeth. One incident that Elizabeth wrote about was when the family lived in McGregor, IA. Elizabeth was beaten black and blue by Anna and was threatened with even worse if she told her father of the abuse. A final altercation with Anna, when William was home, resulted in a meat fork being pointed at Elizabeth’s neck by Anna. That incident finally led William to stand up to his wife and remove Elizabeth from the home to be raised by Albert and Nellie Holcomb, Anna’s brother and wife.
Things were much different for Frank who was doted on by his mother and given his appreciation of music by his father. William had already written several compositions by then and family singing around the piano was a common occurrence. Frank’s early appreciation for music had a lasting effect on his creative abilities.
However, all was not happy in the Wright home. Anna’s instability continued to wreak havoc on the family. She was insecure in her place as William’s wife and resented the first Mrs. Wright as the person family members preferred. Frank was never corrected by either of his parents. Tensions grew when William would counterman his mother’s ideas. By the time Frank was 14, things were so out of control that he and his father came to blows after William tried to reign Frank in. Anna banished William from the family home. Frank never saw his father again and in an additional slap in the face, Frank’s name was changed from Frank Lincoln Wright to Frank Lloyd Wright as homage to his mother.
William traveled to Wahoo, NE where he practiced law with his son George, who was also a minister. William had the opportunity to compose additional music pieces during this time. Frank went on to study architecture and became a world re-known architect. The adult life of Frank Lloyd Wright was a complex as his parents but no one can doubt the exceptional influence that he had on modern-day architecture.
Elizabeth married John Heller and moved to a farm in Iowa. Seven children were born to the couple, with Frances Elizabeth who later became Hope Rogers’ mother. Richard Heller of Marengo is also Elizabeth’s grandson.
The descendants of William Wright gave the State Historical Society in Iowa City a treasure trove of historical documents and William’s music compositions that were discovered by David Patterson who recorded the compositions for the first time. The CD is entitled “The Music of William C. Wright Solo Piano and Vocal Works 1847-1893” and can be purchased by visiting,
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/musicofwilliamwright
To learn more about your family’s history, please visit the Benton County Historical Society’s Genealogy Library at 610 1st Ave, Vinton, open Saturday's except Holidays from 8:30-12:00, and Sunday afternoons 1-4:30 or by request by contacting Martha Long 319-560-9664 or 319-472-4465. Over 800 books are now in order for researching. Donations of 6,000 obits, 1,000 special occasions are in notebooks by last name, Guardian legal book 1868-1881, probate 1912-1917 and much more.
Rogers, Hope, (1976) Grandpa Wright, Ink Spot Press, Vinton, IA.
http://www.oprf.com/flw/bio/father.html
http://www.library.upenn.edu/rbm/featured/mscoll822.html
http://worldhistoryproject.org/1885/william-carey-wright-and-anna-lloyd-jones-divorce
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=55462361
http://www.geni.com/people/William-Wright/6000000003149718333
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2014/09/08/music-william-carey-wright
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