In 1857 when Dr. Henry Wright was planning a new town on a section of the land he owned in Hickory Grove Township, he turned to a young surveyor from Pennsylvania for help. John Vincent Hayes …
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In 1857 when Dr. Henry Wright was planning a new town on a section of the land he owned in Hickory Grove Township, he turned to a young surveyor from Pennsylvania for help. John Vincent Hayes surveyed and laid out the new town of Wright City 165 years ago and went on to become an attorney, a businessman and public official.
Today he lies buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery of the city he helped found. Mr. Hayes and his wife Ann were buried in the early 1900s in Block 3 of the Wright City Cemetery under the shade of a white oak tree. There is no evidence a tombstone ever marked the gravesite of the couple.
The Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society wishes to honor the memory of the man who played a critical role in the early years of the community by erecting a memorial monument for Mr. and Mrs. Hayes.
The original plat of Wright City drawn by the 23-year-old Hayes contained 15 blocks, all located north of the newly laid railroad tracks. It was bounded by First Street on the south, Fourth Street on the north, Elm Street on the west and Oak Street on the east. Mr. Hayes opened one of the first mercantile stores in the new town. In his spare time, the ambitious young man studied law and was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1869. Mr. Hayes set up a law practice in Wright City and was elected to the Missouri Legislature in 1878.
An accomplished orator, Mr. Hayes was frequently called upon to deliver patriotic speeches throughout east central Missouri particularly on the Fourth of July. Until his death in 1907 at the age of 81, Mr. Hayes remained active in this community.
Ann Taylor Hayes’ ancestors were among the early settlers of Warren County. During the 1800s, the Taylor family operated an inn on the Boone’s Lick Trail near the intersection of what is now Highways M and H. Mrs. Hayes was also the niece of Dr. Wright.
The story of John and Ann Hayes was recounted at the Memorial Society’s cemetery walk last fall, and the $285 in proceeds from the walk were set aside for erection of a monument. A design of the vertical tombstone has now been finalized. The cost is $1,585.00.
The Society is launching a drive to raise the remaining $1,300 to purchase the monument. Persons who would like to contribute to this tombstone project may send their donation to the Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society, Post Office Box 83, Wright City, MO 63390. Please note the donation is for the Hayes monument.
The Memorial Society thanks all those who continue to support the work of the Society. The Society will keep the public informed as it reaches its goal of raising $1,300 for the Hayes monument.
