Located in Chesterland, Ohio, Wright Farm was owned by Alonzo and Henrietta Wright. Alonzo Wright, who had lived in the Glenville neighborhood in the 1920s before marrying Henrietta Cheeks, had become the third Black homeowner in Cleveland Heights in 1929 and lived there for the next eighteen years, undeterred by a racially motivated firebombing of their house. Wright was a Black businessman who operated several Standard Oil (Sohio) service stations, where Wright became widely known for the first-rate customer service his stations offered. As his wealth increased, he invested in a number of other ventures (including the Majestic Hotel) on Cleveland’s east side, and would go on to become Cleveland’s first African American millionaire. In 1947, he purchased this farm in Chesterland in western Geauga County as a place to live in the country and raise cattle. Although Wright lived far outside Cleveland, he remained deeply involved in the city, offering philanthropic support for civic projects, mentoring youth, and even becoming the first African American builder of a Cleveland skyscraper.
Resources
- “Alonzo Wright Business Pioneer, Dead.” Call & Post. August 21, 1976.
- Banks, Sandy. “Son Waived Rights to Wright Fortune for $50,000 in 1968.” Call & Post. September 4, 1976.
- “Cleveland Millionaire.” Ebony. August 1, 1961. 40–44.
- Souther, J. Mark. “Through the Ivory Curtain: African Americans in Cleveland Heights Before the Fair Housing Movement.” Journal of Urban History, online first: October 2021.
- “Wright, Alonzo G.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. case.edu/ech/articles/w/wright-alonzo-g.
My grandfather is Alonzo Wright. I am looking for the street address in chesterland for his farm from the past.
Thank you!