Milton Wright, father of Wilbur and Orville Wright, has been portrayed in a negative light by some authors of books on the Wright Brothers. The intent of this post is to provide what I believe is a more accurate and positive picture of this man of steadfast faith, and a strong love for his family and community.
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| Bishop Milton Wright, image courtesy of Wright State University Special Collections and Archives. |
Milton should be judged based on his time period, and not on the family traditions of the 21st century. For example, nursing homes for the elderly were not the norm in the early 1900's. Elderly parents who needed assistance, lived with, and were cared for by their children. Based on this, Milton should not be judged harshly for writing to his daughter in 1889, just weeks before wife's death, "Take especially good care of yourself. You have a good mind and good heart, and being my only daughter, you are my hope of love and care, if I live to be old." (1) Milton actually gave his house to Katharine in March of 1900, such that, Milton, Wilbur, and Orville were in reality, living in Katharine's home at 7 Hawthorn. Writing to his grandniece Grace Frazier in March of 1911, Milton shared, "The family are all well. Of course they are good to me, allowing me mine own ways, and indulging me a good deal, without any charge for my living." (2) Wilbur died in Katharine's home in 1912. Milton, Orville, and Katharine moved out of the home into Orville's home (Hawthorn Hill) in Oakwood in 1914.
Milton, in an 1887 letter to Katharine, wrote, "Be good. Learn all you can about housework. Do not worry mother. Be my nice pet daughter." (3) Referring to Katharine as his "pet daughter" has been viewed by many in 21st century terms. This was simply a term of endearment. Milton, in a June 1913 letter to his grandniece Grace Frazier, using this same term wrote, "You say that Soney Bowen, Kate, Ralph, and Muriel Wright came. Muriel Wright, that was a stunner! It was sometime before I concluded that you meant my pet girl, Myrl Wright, Ellis's daughter. From a child of less than two years old, till she was too old to kiss, I fondled her, as if she had been my daughter, and the last time I saw her we kissed each other heartily. She is so much a Wright, so much like her grandfather. She is a better girl than common. When she was here, our house was [quarentined ] in Wilbur's sickness and death. We [quarentined ] our house, but we lost Wilbur. He died so soon, He reached fame, and then leaped into death! He had only fixed his will, and soon after fell into unconsciousness. He evidently expected to die". (2)(4) Note also, that the word fondled does not carry its 21st century meaning. Milton simply loved his grandniece Myrl like a daughter.
Wilbur thought highly of his father. "If I were giving a young man advice as to how he might succeed in life, I would say to him, pick out a good father and mother, and begin life in Ohio." Wilbur Wright, January 10, 1910. And in his Last Will and Testament, May 10, 1912, Wilbur stated- "I hereby give to my father Milton Wright, of Dayton, Ohio, my earnest thanks for his example of a courageous, upright life, and for his earnest sympathy with everything tending to my true welfare..."
William Hazelgrove, in his 2018 book "Wright Brothers, Wrong Story", states his belief that Wilbur Wright solely solved the flight problem, and Orville simply manipulated history after Wilbur's death to shift the credit more in his own direction. With this mindset, the opinion piece is presented with an unfortunate mixture of facts and fiction, with the facts many times incorrect. The author stated that Katharine was 15 when her mother died (she was 14); he indicated Katharine didn't have time to graduate from High School (she graduated from Central High in 1892); he wrote Reuchlin headed west from Dayton to Cincinnati (Cincinnati is south of Dayton); he wrote Reuchlin returned to Dayton 13 years after moving out west (except for visits, Reuchlin remained in Kansas till his death in 1920); he states the United Brethren Church split in 1899 (it split in 1889); he wrote of the development of the first flight photo in the darkroom in Dayton in late December of 1903, "the photographic paper slowly emulsified..." (the glass plate negatives were developed; the first flight image would have first been viewed on the glass plate, not on a paper image); he wrote "The first scientific publication to report that man could fly was a magazine on bee culture, Gleanings in Bee Culture. That would not be until March 1, 1904" (6) (Scientific American reported the Wright's December 17, 1903 flights in their December 26, 1903 issue, L'Aerophile Decembre 1903 issue reported the flights pg 282, Automotor Journal December 30, 1903 reported the flights pg 1385, just to name a few); he titled a chapter "The Great Flood- 1914 (The Dayton flood occurred in 1913); he wrote the 1903 Flyer was stored in a shed behind the Wright home (the Flyer was stored in a shed behind the Cycle Shop); he tells a fictitious story of Orville drying out the 1903 Flyer in his laboratory just after the flood (the laboratory wasn't constructed until late 1916); he tells a fictitious story of the 1903 Flyer strut wires within the shipping crates humming so loudly within the crates when shipped to England in 1928 that the men on deck wondered what the source of the noise was, tracing it to the crates below deck (the disassembled Flyer would have no taut wires in place to vibrate); he wrote that Orville died at the age of 77 (Orville was 76 when he died).
Hazelgrove doesn't just slander Orville's name, but he also attacks Milton Wright, when he wrote "Milton was a covetous old sinner in that he was psychologically castrating his children. He would record in his diary, "there is much in the papers about the Wright brothers. They have fame but not wealth yet. Both these things, aspired after by so many, are vain." "Bishop Wright was the star of the household, and even the invention of manned flight could be seen as frippery." "In his pictures he is a man with a bad comb-over and an Amish beard; he seems pious, self-absorbed, and judgemental." A basic understanding of the teachings of Christianity by the author appear to be lacking here. Milton did not psychologically castrate his children. Milton was proud of Wilbur and Orville's achievements as is obvious from a multitude of other letters and actions by Milton. From the Old Testament book Ecclesiastes, Solomon, one of the world's richest and wisest men of his time, wrote that fame and wealth are vanity, and do not bring lasting happiness. Milton is simply paraphrasing scripture. Seeking fame and fortune alone is an empty pursuit, and Milton understood that these were not the driving forces in his son's lives. They were demonstrating their invention to the world, and their desire was to make enough profit that they could dedicate their time to scientific study. Hazelgrove's comment about Milton's appearance is odd, and unprofessional for a published author. Making fun of his comb-over? He appears pious and judgemental? Katharine Wright wrote in January of 1924 "Neither Father, nor Mother were a bit pious". (2)(7) In his comments above, Hazelgrove reveals his dislike for a man he never met, or really understands.
Most of the world would come to regard the invention of the airplane as Wilbur's finest moment. Milton thought otherwise. Tom Crouch, the author of The Bishop Boys (1989) understood Milton's sentiment, when Crouch quoted Milton's words about Wilbur, "His mother being a declining, rather than a suffering invalid, he devoted himself to taking all care of her, and watching and serving her with a faithfulness and tenderness that cannot but shed happiness on him in life, and comfort him in his last moments. Such devotion of a son has rarely been equaled, and the mother and son were fully able to appreciate each other. Her life was probably lengthened, at least two years, by his skill and assiduity."(8)
Of course, Milton was also proud of Wilbur and Orville's aviation accomplishments. Writing to his grandniece Grace Frazier, March 7, 1909, "The Assembly of France voted Wilbur and Orville the great honor of 'The Legion of honor'; Congress U.S. voted them gold medals, March 3rd. They have sold one machine to the Aeronautical Society in Rome for $10,000, and train a man to use it. When that is delivered, they come home, in April or May, and in June get their $35,000 of the United States Government for one Machine, and go to Germany in August or September, and take $17,000, for exhibitions etc. They are not selling much rights, but taking in a good deal of money." (2)
The two older brothers, Reuchlin and Lorin, had traveled west to find employment, with Lorin eventually returning to Dayton, and Reuchlin remaining in Kansas. Hazelgrove paints Lorin and Reuchlin as unsuccessful in life, and then makes up an account of Milton belittling his older sons in front of Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine. He wrote, "The Bishop could now point and crow, You see! This is what comes of going out into the world! Wilbur would slink in the background of his father's edict. Evil follows man in the world. Milton Wright could point to the two older brothers and say to his daughter, Katherine [Katharine], and his younger sons, Orville and Wilbur, You see what happens when you venture into the world? It is not to be trusted. Better you stay under the family roof, where all is safe and secure." This is all fiction. Milton did not belittle his older sons. This event never happened. Of the readers of his book, how many do you think took this fictional tale as fact? If one has to make up false events in an attempt to prove a viewpoint, it is an indication the viewpoint itself is weak.
Milton wrote in 1912, concerning his children, "My wife left us nearly 23 years ago. She was the sweetest spirit earth ever knew. She was a trusting Christian through our 30 years of wedded life. She did not suffer much in her long years as an invalid. Her son Wilbur who was so good to her while I was on the Coast, is a man over 160 pounds. The children are all in good flesh lately. They agree well, and discuss their affairs at our table. Lorin my second son lives in our town, and has a nice family....Reuchlin, has a nice family in Kansas. He nearly graduated in College, but prefers a farm, which he owns and runs well. He is well situated and he is as smart as any of them." (5)
In a 2018 interview by Chicago Tonight, Hazelgrove stated, "Bishop Milton was a very overbearing man. He believed the world was inherently evil, and he told his kids do not trust the world.... This began this whole white wash to present a united front to the world....They all remain home their entire life..... They were all high school dropouts by the way...No one could really say how things really were, for one thing, you had to give this united front. The Bishop once said, in a letter he said, Wilbur, you must be careful, because you, if anything happens to you, Orville cannot carry on. And he was very brutal too because he said the same thing to Katharine, basically Wilbur was the only one with true talent." This supposedly was proof that Milton believed it all depended on Wilbur. This is a false understanding of what Milton wrote. Assuming the letter referenced is Milton's February 22, 1909 letter to Katharine, in which he wrote, "...It does not make so much difference about you, but Wilbur ought to keep out of all balloon rides. Success seems to hang on him, in aeroplane business......I am glad to learn that Orville improves rapidly..." Milton does not say if anything happens to Wilbur, Orville cannot carry on. He does not say Wilbur was the only one with true talent. Orville is still recovering from the aeroplane accident at Fort Myer four months prior. At this point, Wilbur is in the best position to further the aeroplane business. Once Orville fully recovers, Orville will complete his flights at Ft Myer for the U.S. Government in June and July, 1909.
The idea that Wilbur, Orville, and Katharine could not speak their minds, and had to present a white wash to the world is total fiction. Labeling the three as "high school dropouts" is inappropriate for their 19th century lives. Wilbur completed his high school education in Richmond Indiana, and continued with some additional classes in Dayton. He simply didn't receive his diploma because he didn't attend the ceremony due to the move. Orville chose to pursue his printing career in lieu of finishing his senior year, not an uncommon choice in the 19th century. Katharine, as stated earlier, did graduate from Central High School.
Did Milton believe the world was inherently evil, and his children were not to trust the world? Christianity teaches we live in a fallen world where evil freely reigns. Milton devoted his life going out into that world to share the good news of God's plan of redemption. Christians are told by scripture to go out into the world, but not to be of the world. The lack of a true understanding of what this means by those outside the faith of Christianity leads many to view men such as Milton Wright in a negative light.
Copyright 2025-Getting the Story Wright
Related posts:
Bishop Milton Wright, Editor of the Religious Telescope and Father of Wilbur and Orville Wright
Christianity Amongst the Wright Brothers
Reuchlin Wright- The Eldest Wright Brother
Notes-
- As quoted in The Bishop Boys, Chapter 6, The Ties that Bind, May 30, 1889 letter, Milton to Katharine, Library of Congress. I could not find the letter on the LOC website.
- From Author's collection.
- Milton Wright to Katharine Wright, October 15, 1887, Library of Congress, Family Papers: Correspondence- Wright, Milton, 1881, 1887-1901.
- Myrl Wright, daughter of Ellis Wright, daughter of Rev. William W. Wright, Milton's brother.
- Milton Wright letter to Mrs. Wyatt, February 12, 1912.
- The March 1, 1904 account by Amos Root was a story he told to his Sunday school class of young boys about two young men from Dayton Ohio that flew at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. I own a copy of this magazine. It obviously was not "the first scientific publication" to report man could fly. I own multiple copies of the December 26, 1903 Scientific American issue that reported the first flights. I own a copy of L'Aerophile December, 1903 reporting the flights.
- Katharine Wright to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, written on a copy of Air Service News Letter, January 7, 1924, "The Airplane's Twentieth Anniversary".
- From Ch 5, Times of Trial, Crouch quotes from Milton Wright interview from a newspaper clipping in the Wright Scrapbooks, 1909, Wright Papers, Library of Congress, "Wilbur Wright Born in Henry County". I found this same quote in the Wright Scrapbooks at the Dayton Montgomery Library, dated June 13, 1909, "Father Wright Tells About Wilbur and Orville as Children and as Men".
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