WRIGHT, Joseph A. - Putnam

Editor and proprietor of the Lebanon Journal was born in Putnam county, Indiana Aug 21, 1855.  Came to Kansas in 1878 with his parents locating in Oak township near what was then known as Sweet Home postoffice.  Feb 18, 1877, he was married to Martha E. Goode. They have six children, four boys and two girls.  In Feb 1886 with but little newspaper experience, he started the Cora Union as an exponent of the principles of the Greenback party.  Finding the place rather small for a newspaper, he moved the plan to Old Lebanon in 1887, taking in as a partner by J. Thompson and changing the name of the paper to the Lebanon Criterion, running it as a Republican paper.  When the railroad was built through the county and the new town of Lebanon was started they moved the paper to the new town, selling it to other parties in 1889, having become dissatisfied with the theories of the Republican paper.  One month later he started the Lebanon Journal, buying material for it and running it as an independent paper. This is the paper he now owns. It soon went into the hands of a joint stock company when he went to Smith Center and started what is now known as the Smith County Journal selling it in 1891 to its present owners. In 1891 he returned to the Lebanon Journal, having never moved his residence from that city.  As editor of the Journal he has always made it strongly Populist all the way through, without any fusion attachment whatever and by strict attention to business during the past two good crop years, has pulled out of debt and now owns the plant, building and residence, which is all free from incumbrance.  Since the organization of the People’s party Mr. Wright has never wavered from its principles and has fought manfully for its candidates. He has never held an office of profit, but has served as a delegate in county, state and national convention of his party and is now secretary of the county central committee. The Journal is undoubtedly one of Lebanon’s permanent institutions. – kbz