This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website

J. W. Wright

Watertown Wisconsin Centennial, 1854-1954, booklet

J. W. Wright, known to Watertown residents as Willie Wright, was born here in 1871 and died in 1952.

During his boyhood days he spent much time with his grandparents, the Jacob B. Van Alstines, in the Exchange hotel which they operated. His mother, Mrs. Silas Wright, was Mary A. Van Alstine (*), an artist of no small repute.

He graduated from Watertown High School and in 1892 completed his course at Beloit college. While there he distinguished himself as a writer and designer and was chosen to design the frontispiece of the Beloit College annual. He also lettered and illustrated Sidney Lanier's long poem, "The Symphony." After graduation he became a journalist, author and poet. He worked on papers at Denver, Colo., and at Pasadena, Calif.

"The Post" a paper in Pasadena reviewed his poems saying in their tribute to him: "Mr. Wright has the soul of a poet and a poet's subtlety and grace of expression. He is a Wisconsin product they say but he is really a genius product for no state can claim a genius. It just happens to be born there."

In addition to a vast amount of journalism he found time to write, "The Long Ago," and a book of poems called "The Old World." His books were in his own words "Tales from the Hills and Valleys of Life."

The "Long Ago" is about Van Alstine's Exchange, the hotel operated by his grandfather. In this he is said to be a writer of mellow verse.

In 1898 J. W. Wright composed a poem for his mother. In 1924 he found it pasted on the back of an old photograph of her. The title of it was "If I Were a Millionaire." The last verse contains much of his philosophy of life.

Would we be more to each other

If troubles were swept away?

Would the sun in the west glow softer

Then now, at the close of day?

Life is but a mighty heart throb,

And the love that makes life fair

Would be no greater and truer dear

If I were a millionaire.

- J. W. Wright

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(*) Mary Van Alstine Bartow. Died 04 03 1924

Mrs. Mary van Alstine Bartow, widow of the later Judge Bartow, died last week Monday at Pasadena, California. Deceased was born in Watertown, and resided here until her marriage to Silas F. Wright of Chicago, now a resident of New York. Mr. and Mrs. Wright separated and for a number of years Mrs. Wright and her son made their home in Watertown with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Bell Van Alstine, who conducted a hotel on the site of where the Merchants National Bank and Mrs. Clara Weis millinery store now are. Later she married Judge Bartow and they went west to reside, living in Nebraska, then Colorado, and on the death of Judge Bartow, Mrs. Bartow and her son, J. W. Wright located in Pasedena, California, where her son now resides. Mrs. Bartow is quite well remembered by all the older residents, including the editor of The Gazette. She was one of Watertown’s most prominent belles in the early 70’s and a lady of culture and refinement. All of her old friends here heard of her death with much sorrow.