George W. Wright

George W. Wright. . Born in Carthage, Tennessee to Elizabeth (Travis) and Claiborne Wright, George Washington Wright (1809-1877) was the founder of Paris. In 1816 the family moved by keelboat to southwest Arkansas, settling initially along the Red River near Pecan Point in present-day Bowie County, Texas and later into what became Oklahoma. George Wright then lived across from the mouth of the Kiamichi River at Wright's steamboat landing. In 1834 Wright married Matilda Holman (1817-1849). Shortly after Texas declared independence, Wright joined Captain John Hart's company. He was elected First Lieutenant during this service in south Texas. While there, he was elected a member of the first congress of the Republic of Texas, a position he would thrice hold. , In 1837, his home became the first land office in the Red River district. Two years later, Wright built a home farther to the west. On this high ground between the Red and Sulphur rivers he constructed a store called Paris. Lamar County was created out of Red River County in late 1840. On April 1, 1843, Wright was made postmaster of the Paris post office by the Republic of Texas. In 1844, Wright gave fity acres to Lamar County, creating a town, Paris, named after his store. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Wright was elected as one of three to represent Lamar County at the 1861 secession convention in Austin. He was one of only eight delegates to vote against secession, seven of whom were later photographed and became known as the “Immortal Seven.” Wright was also a county coroner, justice of the peace, freemason, school trustee and served as a founding member of the local Methodist congregation. He donated land for the first cemetery in Paris. After Matilda died in 1848, Wright married twice more. His portrait by William H. Huddle was placed in the state capitol.