(03-11-2020 10:04 PM)Steve Whitlock Wrote:  Who is this man. Hint#1: His son claimed that he taught A. Lincoln to survey, and worked with him on his penmanship.

(03-12-2020 07:20 AM)AussieMick Wrote:  John Todd Stuart?

(03-12-2020 10:31 AM)Steve Whitlock Wrote:  

(03-12-2020 07:20 AM)AussieMick Wrote:  John Todd Stuart?

The man in the photo is John Dunham Wright Sr, whose first wife was Celia Hanks who d: 1844, dtr of William Hanks and Elizabeth Hall. William Hanks, as pointed out in the attached news article, was the brother of Lucy Hanks Sparrow, Abe's grandmother.

A bio for John Dunham Wright Sr doesn't mention his first wife:

Representative John Dunham Wright
Legislative Assembly: 6 (12/04/1843 - 05/04/1845)

Compiled Historical Information
Date of Death: 5/28/1892
Birth Place: Chittenden County, VT
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Assemblies Served:
House: LA6 (1843)
LA8 (1845)
Home County: Des Moines
John Dunham Wright
Des Moines County
Born February 8, 1807, in Chittenden County, Vermont. About 1834, he moved to Iowa and became one of the pioneers in Des Moines County. That was a number of years before Iowa was organized as a state and in his capacity as a surveyor he did some valuable work in laying out the wilderness, and many of the lines he established are still in existence. He platted the town site of Burlington, Iowa, and for four terms represented Des Moines County in the Iowa Territorial Legislature while the territorial capital was at Iowa City. Mr. Wright was also a delegate to the 1844 Iowa Constitutional Convention in Iowa City representing Des Moines County. He briefly traveled to New London, Connecticut in 1845, where he married Eveline Simmons. The couple then took up residence in Iowa together before moving to Missouri. Mrs. Wright died February 8, 1891, in Rosendale, Missouri, and Mr. Wright followed in death on May 28, 1892 near Rosendale.
Sources:
Text above from Iowa Official Register/Other
All Biographies
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John Dunham Wright, Sr
Birth 7 Feb 1808
Chittenden County, Vermont, USA
Death 28 May 1893 (aged 85)
Burial
Coffman Cemetery
Wyeth, Andrew County, Missouri, USA
Memorial ID 83974223 · View Source

John D.Wright(J.D.Wright) had over 15 children, with Eveline, there is 7 children
Family Members
Spouses

Photo
Cecelia Hanks Wright

1814–1844 (m. 1832)
Photo
Eveline Simmons Wright

1820–1891 (m. 1854)

Children

Photo
John Dunham Wright

1842–1942
Lyman Wright

1854–1942
Photo
George Washington Wright

1855–1943
Photo
Mary Wright Jameson

1861–1956

Inscription

aged 85 years 3 months 20 days
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Celia Hanks

in the Illinois, Compiled Marriages, 1791-1850

Name: Celia Hanks [d: 1844]
Spouse: John C. Wright [John Dunham Wright]
Marriage Date: 4 Nov 1832
Marriage County: Macon
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Cecelia Hanks Wright

Birth: 1814
Falls of Rough
Grayson County
Kentucky, USA
Death: Sep. 25, 1844
Des Moines County
Iowa, USA

Cecelia aka Celia married John Dunham Wright on Nov. 4, 1832 in Macon Co., IL. Celia and John had 7 children: Marvin, Hannah Elizabeth, William Linneous, Priscilla, John Dunham, Elisha and Electa.

Family links:
Parents:
William Hanks (1764 - 1851)
Elizabeth Hall Hanks (1766 - 1844)

Spouse:
John Dunham Wright (1808 - 1893)*

Children:
William Linneus Wright (1837 - 1923)*
John Dunham Wright (1842 - 1942)*
Elisha Wright (1844 - 1920)*

Siblings:
Nancy Hanks Miller (1794 - 1873)*
James Lewis Hanks (1795 - 1856)*
William T Hanks (1796 - 1846)*
Charles Hanks (1798 - 1863)*
John I. Hanks (1802 - 1889)*
Elizabeth Hanks Ray Dillon (1804 - 1885)*
Sarah Hanks Brown (1810 - 1884)*
Joseph Hanks (1811 - 1845)*
Lucinda Hanks Douglas (1813 - 1890)*
Cecelia Hanks Wright (1814 - 1844)
Andrew Jackson Hanks (1815 - 1889)*

*Calculated relationship

Burial:
Millersburg Cemetery
Pleasant Grove
Des Moines County
Iowa, USA

Created by: Donna Kemp & Teri Libell
Record added: Apr 14, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 51101544
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It seems that twins Elisha and Electa were born about the time that Celia died, and they were living with Celia's sister, Nancy (Hanks) Miller, in the 1850 census, even tho John had remarried to Eveline Simmons and had the rest of his children by Celia with him in 1850.

I'm fairly certain I have notes somewhere, or have read (besides the article), that verify Abe and John did some surveying work together.