Plumas County Biographies

Norman K. Wright

Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Dec. 2004

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
The only son of Sylvester and Cynthia B. (King) Wright was Norman K., and he was 
born in the county of Leeds, Canada, August 21, 1828. In 1843 he removed to 
Monroe county, New York, where he grew to manhood. His father died when he was 
three years old. After about six years of widowhood, his mother was again 
married to David N. Glazier. Most of Norman�s boyhood days were spent in 
clerking for his step-father. On the twentieth of March, 1852 he embarked on a 
vessel from New York for San Francisco, via Panama, where he was delayed 
seriously, awaiting the coming of the Monumental City, on which he completed his 
journey to San Francisco, arriving June 17 of the same year. The time until 
October was spent at Sacramento in sickness; but later in the fall he went to 
Auburn and engaged in mining and hotel-keeping. In April, 1853 he went to the 
north fork of Feather river. Here he remained until the spring of 1855, when he 
settled at Eagle gulch. After s short time spent in mining and sawing lumber, 
he, in company with Andrew Robinson, on the seventeenth of June, opened the 
second store kept in the place, the first having been opened by J. W. Hardwick. 
They continued in business until 1861, when the camp, failing to be a profitable 
place, was abandoned. On the twenty-first of September, 1863, he came at the 
request of Mr. Thompson, of the firm of Thompson & Kellogg, to take charge of 
their business for a few days, during their absence buying goods; and so 
efficient has he been in the discharge of duty that we find him there yet, in 
1882. He was married, January 14, 1874, to Mrs. Carrie De Nayer, a native of 
Alsace, France. 
 
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 
1513 to 1850. � Fariss and Smith, San Francisco,  1882. p 252