Troy Chid Wright

Jason would not like me posting all his baby pictures and school pictures on his birthday. Instead I thought I would tell a story about one of our trips to find out about the family tree.



I was in Letcher County, Kentucky visiting relatives. I went over to Clintwood to vist with Leonard and Madeline Pratt Salyers. Madeline is the sister to Nina Pratt who married my dad's brother Jesse. Leonard and Madeline were like family to me. We called them Aunt and Uncle. We were talking family tree and Bad John Wright's name came up. He was my great grandfather William Jesse Wright's brother. Leonard said John's son, Chid, lived near. We got the telephone number and called to see if it was all right to come visit. They said "come on over". So off Jason and I went to find thier home.



It was up a hill and Chid was sitting on a chair on the front porch. His wife, Belle, was in and out with us. I always brought things for Jason to do while we visited. On this trip he got out a box of matchbox cars.



A car came up and a lady got out. She was a reporter from the Coalfield Progress who had come to interview Chid. I sat through the interview while she asked a lot of the questions I was going to, so I got to take a lot of notes.



In the meantime Chid's wife, Belle, went down the steps from the porch and went over and got a board which she leaned up against the porch so Jason could race his cars down the board.



The reported took my picture with Chid. I am hardly ever in any of the pictures, so this was unusual. She also took my name and address and promised to send me copies of her article which she did. She left and Chid and I continued to talk.




By now Belle was not just watching Jason play, she was racing the cars down the board with him.



Chid showed me the hat his father always wore while doing Pinkerton work (which he is wearing in the picture). He showed me a gun that Jesse James had given Bad John. He brought out a book that he had written about his father. I bought four of them: one for me, and one for my Dad, Aunt Vera and Uncle Jesse. He signed all the books. We had a great visit. I talked to them several times on the phone after that visit when I had questions or just to see how they were.



We left feeling like we had spent the time with family. When we were almost back into Letcher County, Jason asked when were we going back to see "that little old girl". For once, he had enjoyed the visit as much as I did. When Lana visited Cleveland and called Uncle John Vent that "little old boy" it made me think of that visit.