Celia Wright Collection

Collection

Identifier: 2008.010

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Celia Wright Collection contains historical research on Hopkins County, Texas, and Hopkins County families collected during Mrs. Wright's career as a genealogical researcher and historical author. The collection contains newspaper articles authored by Celia Wright, correspondence with researchers, photographs and negatives, and research notes.

Series I, Historical Research, is divided into two sub-series, Families and Locations. The Families sub-series contains obituaries, articles, photographs, correspondence, and family trees related to Hopkins County families and is organized by family name. The Locations sub-series contains photographs, articles, and research notes related to locations in Hopkins County, some of which no longer exist. This information was collected by Mrs. Wright from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Series II, Personal Papers, contains Celia Wright's family photographs, documents related to her career as an accountant, membership information in various clubs and committees, and a political signature collection.

Series III, Poetry and Inspirational Writing, includes Celia Wright's non-historical writing and information regarding her involvement with various poetry societies across Texas.

Dates

Creation: 1910-1978, inclusive
Creation: Majority of material found within 1974-1978,

Creator

Wright, Celia M. (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Items in the this collection are protected by applicable copyright laws.

Biographical / Historical

Celia Minerva Kirkpatrick Wright was a local historian from Hopkins County, Texas. She was born November 16, 1902, in Valdasta (Collin County), Texas, to Mr. and Mrs. W. Riley Kirkpatrick. Her father was a Methodist preacher, so the Wright family moved several times, finally settling in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Mrs. Wright graduated from Sulphur Springs High School, East Texas State Normal College, and Wesley College, afterwards becoming a teacher. She married Ballinger Wright (1901-1962) on November 24, 1928, and moved to Detroit, Michigan, where her husband worked for the automobile industry. Mrs. Wright returned to Sulphur Springs in 1937 due to her mother's illness and divorced Ballinger Wright in 1939. From 1942-1943, she worked in Washington, DC, for the Civil Service section of the War Department, returning to Sulphur Springs after the war to work as an accountant. While writing her books (Heritage from the Past: Sketches from Hopkins County History, Sentinels for a Century: 1st Baptist Church of Sulphur Springs 1859-1959, and Hobby-House Ideas), she collected information about local families and communities. For nearly twenty years she wrote columns for the Sulphur Springs Daily News-Telegram and the Hopkins County Echo. She was also an avid hobbyist. Mrs. Wright died on December 24, 1992.

Extent

7 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Related Materials

Three of Celia Wright's published works are available in the Special Collections Department, Hobby-House Ideas, Heritage from the Past: Sketches from Hopkins County History, and Sentinels for a Century: First Baptist Church, Sulphur Springs , Texas, 1859-1959.