Wright imbues valley spirit
Heritage Court honors Bellevue woman
Second in a series of five
By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer
Few people ever pay $50 for a house,
especially in the Wood River Valley. Lillian Wright of Bellevue continues to
live in the home she and her husband bought for $50 in 1939. But it’s not this
unusual claim to fame that earned Wright the "Lady of the Court" honor. Instead,
the Blaine County Historical Society will bestow the honor to Wright for her
lifelong contributions to Bellevue.
"I was always willing to do anything I
could do for the community," said Wright.
Lillian Wright continues to
contribute to Bellevue, and will be honored for her efforts throughout her
lifetime in Bellevue at the Heritage Court. Express photo by Megan Thomas
On June 27, the Blaine County Historical
Museum will honor Wright, and four other women for their contributions to the
Wood River Valley during the 2004 Heritage Court at the Liberty Theatre in
Hailey. The other four women being honored are Marge Brass Heiss, 94, of
Bellevue; Billie Horne Buhler, 90, of Hailey; Mary Jane Griffith Conger, 78, of
Ketchum, and Verda Edwards O’Crowley, 74, of Carey.
Born on her family’s farm in Slaughter
House Canyon, east of Bellevue, Wright has spent her entire 85 years in the Wood
River Valley. Growing up in a family with 11 children, she learned the value of
family, hard work and contributing to the community. She spent her childhood
attending Gannett School, graduating in 1937 from Gannett High School. Soon
after graduating, she married her high school sweetheart Charles Wright in June
of 1939 and moved to Bellevue.
The newlyweds built their life in
Bellevue, starting with their home. Wright remembers paying $50 for the house
the couple bought from the Eckles Ranch. In November 1939, a team of horses
moved the two-room shed on two logs to a lot the couple received as a wedding
present from the groom’s parents. In 1939, the lot was a cornfield. Today,
Wright has neighbors in all directions.
When the house rolled into the Bellevue
cornfield, it didn’t have windows, and was little more than a shed. Wright
explained that she and her husband "worked and worked on the house until we got
our home."
Over the years the couple added on to the
house as the family grew. Wright and her husband raised four children there. She
said that her favorite thing in life was "raising the family and seeing them
accomplish what they did." Wright’s prized possession is clearly her family. Not
in a trite, sappy way, but with insightful appreciation for the paths her
children chose.
The family took picnics, fished, played
games and gathered at home to enjoy one another. Wright recalled one of the
favorite family gatherings was around the television at their home. Wright said
"I think we had the first TV in Bellevue. Everybody would come here to watch
TV."
If Wright’s home was her favorite place,
the mines were her least. Wright’s husband mined at the Triumph mine until 1957
and then worked at the Queen Mine. One Sunday afternoon Wright ventured into the
mine with her husband who had to check a pump. After the experience she said she
never returned to the dark, damp caves. Despite her dislike for being inside the
mines, Wright remembers the importance of the mining industry as the driving
force of the Wood River economy.
Now, Wright spends her time with her
family and stays active in the community. She is a member of the Civic Club, the
Bellevue Community Church and likes to crochet and cook.