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Thomas Wright - Rochester

Thomas Wright was born October 25, 1926 in rural Sangamon County outside Rochester, Illinois. Tom was one of nine children. He graduated from Rochester High School in 1944. During the 1940s, Thomas worked with his brother, James, delivering ice to rural areas around Rochester where his family owned an ice house. He served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1947 and was assigned to USS Sarita (AKA-39), an attack cargo ship, finishing the war in the waters off Japan. He spent his working life with the Chicago and Illinois Midland Railway as a railroad detective.

Interview Links

Feature Excerpt

Jolly Roger to Stars & Stripes

Abstract

Interview Session 01 (Audio)

Thomas Wright’s life story

Interview Session 02 (Audio)

The Rochester ice house and other memories

Photos

Caption:
Ethel Wright stands in front of the family’s ice house in Rochester, Illinois, circa 1950. Alice Spurgeon is on the far left, with several Wright children.

Where:
Rochester, Illinois

When:
Circa 1950

Ownership:
Narrator’s photo

Caption:
Photo of Tom Wright at the time of his interview in April, 2017.

Where:
Rochester, Illinois

When:
April, 2017

Ownership:
ALPL