The Wright Family of Dixon Co. Nebraska

The Wright Family of Dixon Co. Nebraska (pg. 6)

"Dubuque Folklore II," published, 1980, by American Trust & Savings Bank, Dubuque, Iowa
(Pages 22 and 23)*

We believe that Solomon and Sarah (Low) Lightcap mentioned in this story are the aunt and uncle of Ella S. (Quimby) Wright. If Selden and Ann Quimby (who died in 1852 shortly after Ella was born) are actually the parents of Ella (and we believe they are), they had four children in the 1850 census of New Diggings, Lafayette Co., WI (Freeman, 8; Ann S., 7, George, 2; and Maria, 1). According to Ella's obituary, she was adopted by her uncle Hosea Low after her mother died. Three of the four Quimby children listed in the 1850 New Diggings census (Freeman, Ann and George) are found in the 1860 census of Hazel Green, Grant Co., WI, living in the household of Solomon and Sarah (Low) Lightcap. Another Quimby child - Alva P. Quimby, age 8 in 1860, and not in the 1850 census - is found living in the household of Joshua and Susan (Low) Atwood in the 1860 Hazel Green, Grant Co., WI census. All of this seems to indicate that Ann Quimby was probably the sister of Hosea Low,
Sarah (Low) Lightcap and Susan (Low) Atwood. Maria and Ella Quimby have not been found
in any 1860 census (where Ella should have been found with Hosea Low).

Click here for photos of the Quimby children

NOTE: I have finally found Maria & Ella Quimby in subsequent census records. In the 1860 census, Ella was living with another uncle, Henry Hobbs Low in Galena, Illinois and listed as "Sarah E. Quinby." Maria was living at that time with her aunt, Lydia (Quimby) Bartlett in Fayette, Wisconsin. In the 1870 census, Ella is listed as "Ellen S. Quinby," living with her older sister, Ann Sophia (Quimby) Nye in Platteville, Grant Co., Wisc.

Interestingly, Solomon Lightcap's occupation was miller; Selden Quimby's occupation listed in the 1850 census was miller; Ella's husband (Lyman Granger Wright) and father-in-law
(Pierce Granger Wright) were millers (in Nebraska) and Ella's future son-in-law, Gilbert S. Asbury, who married Anna Eliza Wright (Ella's daughter), was listed on his daughter Faye's
birth certificate as a miller (in Waterville, Washington).

Please note that the dates given for Solomon Lightcap's birth (1804) and marriage (1832)
are almost certainly wrong - they are more likely 1814 and 1842, or so...

Thank you to Henry C. Low of Lubbock, TX for bringing this book to my attention.
And, thank you also to Henry and to Leslie Low for bringing to my attention the Quimby children living in the Low sisters' households, after the death of the children's mother, Ann Quimby.

"Dubuque Folklore II"
Pages (24 and 25)*

*Thank you to Peggy L. Hudson, Senior Vice President, American Trust & Savings Bank,
Dubuque, Iowa, for permission to use these pages from "Dubuque Folklore II"

A special thanks to Robin Mosier, who hosts the Dixon County USGenWeb site, for all her wonderful information about the history of Dixon County and for the attractive way in which she presents that website.
Email Bob Couch with questions, comments, corrections to this page.