James R Wright
Born: May 3, 1959
Died: March 10, 2023 Connection to Illinois: Wright was a lifelong resident of Homewood. He was a graduate of St. Joseph’s Grade School in 1973 and Marian Catholic High School in 1977. James served on the Homewood Fire Department for twenty-two years, four years as a Trustee for the Village Board of Homewood and actively involved with the Homewood Historical Society since 1983, serving several terms as president. Biography: James R. Wright was an author/historian, he wrote several books on the history of Homewood and his family genealogy. He was also active for many years with the A’s -R-Us car club. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005. In service to his fellow man, he did volunteer work for PADS organization for many years.
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Selected Titles
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Egyptian Trail in Illinois: A History from Chicago to Cairo ISBN: 154025769X OCLC: 1377697475 History PR 2023 Journey down one of the most important roadways in the annals of Illinois transportation history. Stretching from Chicago to Cairo, the Egyptian Trail was one of the earliest "improved" roadways in Illinois. Dating to 1915, it was the longest road in the state, running four hundred miles through 20 counties and over 60 towns. The project was the brainchild of two Mattoon men, Dr. Iverson Lumpkin and Ernest B. Tucker, who realized the southern reaches of the state should be linked with Chicago along the same path as the Illinois Central Railroad. Though long forgotten today, the trail also served as the basic template for the route of Interstate 57. Author James R. Wright takes a road trip through the fascinating heritage of the Egyptian Trail. |
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Homewood ISBN: 1540227251 OCLC: Arcadia Publishing 2017 From its beginnings as one of the first stops on the Illinois Central Railroad in 1853, to its position as "the jewel of the south suburbs" today, Homewood has had a rich and varied history. Located 25 miles south of Chicago, Homewood has capitalized on its location along a major rail line, Canadian National Railway today, and the network of interstate expressways that continue to fuel its growth and prosperity. This access to transportation allowed the industrious Gottschalk family to make a fortune selling hay to Chicago's stockyards and, later, bricks to communities throughout the area. Rail access, combined with the abundance of hayfields surrounding Homewood, allowed the area to be transformed into a golfer's paradise at the start of the 20th century and into a suburban bedroom community by mid-century. |
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The Dixie Highway in Illinois ISBN: 1531638821 OCLC: Arcadia Publishing 2009 The Dixie Highway, once a main thoroughfare from Chicago to Miami, was part of an improved network of roads traversing the landscape of 10 states. A product of the Good Roads Movement of the early 20th century, construction on the highway in Illinois took place from 1916 to 1921. When completed in 1921, the Dixie Highway was the longest continuous paved road in the state. It ran through parts of Cook, Will, Kankakee, Iroquois, and Vermilion Counties, with service stations, roadside diners, and campgrounds sprouting up along the way. With over 200 vintage photographs, The Dixie Highway in Illinois takes readers on a tour from the Art Institute of Chicago, in the heart of the city on Michigan Avenue, to the Illinois state line east of Danville, exploring this historic highway and the communities it passes through. |