(wrightc1.jpg)(see below)
Hough's History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties and French's Gazetteer of the State of New York.
Silas Wright was born at Amherst, Mass., May
24, 1795. He removed in infancy, with his parents, to
Weybridge, Vt., where he worked upon his father's farm during the summer,
and attended school in the winter.
After an academic course, he entered Middlebury College in 1811 and
graduated in 1815. While a student he
entered warmly into the political discussions of the day and espoused
the Republican cause. He studied law with
Henry C. Martindale, at Sandy Hill, N.Y., teaching school one or two
winters to aid in defraying his expenses, and
was admitted to practice in 1819, in which year he established himself
in his profession at Canton. He soon won the
confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens and was honored with many
minor offices, including those of surrogate,
justice, commissioner of deeds, postmaster and several town offices,
and rose through the several military grades
from the Captaincy of a uniformed militia rifle company, which he raised
at an early day, to that of a Brigadier
General, receiving the latter commission in 1827. He was elected to
the State Senate in November, 1823, and
served until March, 1827, when he resigned to take a seat in Congress,
to which he was elected in November,
1826. He took his seat in Congress in December, 1827, and was re-elected
in 1828. He resigned his seat in
Congress, before the expiration of his term, to accept the position
of State Comptroller, to which he was chosen
Jan. 27, 1829. While in Congress he served as a member of the Committee
on Manufactures, and took an active
part in the tariff investigations and discussions in 1828. He served
as Comptroller from the time of his election till
his election to the U. S. Senate in January, 1833. He was re-elected
U. S. Senator in February, 1837, and again in
February, 1843, and continued to serve as such until December, 1844,
when he resigned, having been elected
Governor of New York the previous November. The nominations of Governor
in 1842 and Vice-President in 1844,
were tendered him, but declined. He entered upon the duties of Governor,
Jan 1, 1845. In 1847 he retired to private
life, devoting himself to the cultivation of his farm and the society
of his early friends. Aug 27, 1847, he was
suddenly attacked at his residence by a severe illness, which caused
his death in two hours.
While in the U.S. Senate he served most of the time on the Committee
on Finance, and introduced the first
Sub-Treasury bill, which became a law. A seat upon the bench of the
Supreme Court was offered him by President
Tyler, and cabinet positions and foreign missions were tendered him
by other Presidents, but declined. Previous to
his death he consented to deliver an address at the State Agricultural
Fair at Saratoga Springs, in 1847, and the
address which was prepared by him, was delivered a short time after
that event by his friend, Gen. (now Gov.) Dix.
He appeared twice in the Supreme Court of the United States to argue
cases of high importance, and established in
that tribunal a marked reputation as a lawyer.
His mercantile friends envinced their esteem by a testimonial consisting
of 125 pieces of silver, each bearing an
appropriate inscription, the whole valued at about $1,900, which was
procured during his lifetime and presented to
his widow after his death. His friends and neighbors testified their
high appreciation of his character by the erection
of a monument over his remains at Canton. With the avails of a subscription,
each contribution to which was limited
to $1, and its circulation to this county, was erected a simple shaft
of pure white marble, from the Dorset quarry,
Fifteen feet in height, resting on a base of Canton granite one and
one-forth feet high, and inclosed by a neat iron
paling. On one side of the shaft is inscribed his name and dates of
birth and death, and another "Erected by the
citizens of the county of St. Lawrence." The citizens of Weybridge,
Vt., also erected a monument to his memory in
that village, at a cost of $4,400. The main shaft is twenty-eight feet
high, three feet square at the base, and
seventeen inches at the top. It stands upon a mound, and is supported
by three bases; the first eight, the second six
and one-half, and the third five feet square, and a die four feet square,
upon which it rests. A beautiful and accurate
medallion bust, executed by E. D. palmer of Albany, is inserted in
the monument, which is surrounded by a circular
iron railing six rods in diameter. The only inscription it bears is
"Silas Wright".
(15) These members were Geo. Foote, John Richardson, Weltha Foote, Betsy
Donegly, M. Conkey, Jane Ross
and P. Richardson.
The preceedeing From: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stlawgen/CHILDS/Canton.HTM
Site for St. Lawrence co, NY cemeteries: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stlawgen/index.HTM
Site for St. Lawrence co, NY genealogy forum: http://genforum.genealogy.com/ny/saintlawrence/
I am trying to research a painting and I have
been looking on the Internet for information on Silas Wright and your Bigelow
site appeared as an address. My interest is due to my having what
I believe is an original miniature portrait of Silas Wright by
Alonzo Chappel, 14.5cm by 11.5cm. A copy is hopefully attached
for your information, including the reverse. The colours are
not very true and are shades of sepia and brown. There are a few comments
on the rear including a small damaged print of
Silas Wright. I believe Alonzo Chappel is quite well known.
So far I have found on the Internet, a copy
of the 1882 $50 Gold Certificate which has an identical portrait,
www.drbanks.com/currency/Portraits/wright.html except that the one
on the certificate shows less of his shoulders and lower
chest. My assumption is that the miniature I have is either a copy
of a larger portrait or possibly the portrait from which the
portrait on the certificate was engraved.
I am therefore interested to know whether
you are familar with the portrait and if you can please assist in determing
any
firm relationship with the gold certificate.
Many thanks, Don Shelton
Also Plaque:
Silas Wright
Farmer-Lawyer
Statesman
Citizen of Canton
United States Senator
1833-1844
Governor
of the
State of New York
1845-1848
bigelow@slic.com
Rod Bigelow at SLIC 
