This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: RWright84 Surnames: Wright Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.wright/15265/mb.ashx Message Board Post: US National Park Service Web page, http://www.nps.gov/slbe/historyculture/ghosttowns.htm, gives account of murder by Charles T. Wright in 1889; extract below. Does anybody have family information on this Charles Wright? The area referred to is in Benzie County, MI, along Lake Michigan, approximately 3 miles south of the town of Empire. "Aral was located at the end of Esch Road where Otter Creek drains into Lake Michigan. . In 1882, Dr. Arthur O'Leary, who owned most of the land in Lake Township, built a sawmill on Otter Creek and began to harvest the great stands of white pine that grew along the lakeshore. . In 1886, a Wisconsin lumberman, Charles T. Wright, leased the mill from O'Leary. By then most of the pine was gone, but Wright kept the mill busy turning out shingle bolts, fence posts, railroad ties, and hardwood for flooring and furniture, which he shipped across the lake to Kenosha in the company steam-powered barge. In 1889 Charles Wright got into a dispute over taxes with the county authorities and on August 10, Sheriff A. B. Case sent two of his deputies, Neil Marshall and Dr. Frank Thurber with a writ of attachment for the logs at the Otter Creek mill. Charley met them there armed with a rifle and a pistol. He shot and killed both men and disappeared into the woods. Word of the killings spread like wildfire and by late afternoon, a great crowd had gathered at the mill. The mood was ugly and their aim was to find Charley Wright and string him up. Wright was captured after one of his Indian workers, Lahala, revealed his hiding place after being tortured by hanging him nearly to death. Wright was convicted of two counts of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment at Jackson, MI. He was paroled in May, 1902. . This description of Aral was taken from Ghost Towns of Michigan Volume I by Larry Wakefield, pp53-58." Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.