John and I visited the Beth Jacob cemetery on the outskirts of Royal Botanical Gardens last year while hiking and doing some geocaches. This commanding monument definitely catches the eye. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about Solomon.
I attempted Google Translate on the stone and asked several organizations for help to translate his tombstone. In the end, I was able to enlist the help of a co-worker's friend. His inscription in Hebrew roughly reads:
His blood was lost for the flag The one who supported the poor Lived his life with Emuna and daat His trade was fair and profitable
Keeper of religion and faith Bread he gave to the poor And houses of worship testify His ways was straight and righteous
According to his death certificate, Solomon was born in Russia on Valentines Day in 1872 to parents Abraham and Sarah. (1) Wright seems to be an odd name for a Russian and like my ancestors, I wondered if the name changed phonetically when he came to Canada. I did some searching and found a couple of US Boarder Crossing records, which provided some useful information. On 24 Feb 1910 Solomon crossed into the US from Halifax to visit his sister Mrs Abraham Epstein. He was 5' 6" tall with black hair and brown eyes. Luckily his place of birth was not simply Russia but Smolensk, Russia. It also appears to provide his immigration information! He landed in Halifax in Dec 1901 but the steamship was unknown. (2) A second boarder crossing at Buffalo on 11 Feb 1915 to go visit his sister Jennie Mettzer recorded his other name "Schelter", which isn't phonetically pronounced as Wright! (3) A third boarder crossing record for 1910 offers his occupation as a junk dealer. (4)A few pieces of really helpful information, quickly found. The 1921 census provides information about Solomon and his family. His wife Anne (although recorded as Hannah) was also born in Russia and came to Canada a year after Solomon (1906). (5) Their house on 25 Railway Street in Hamilton appears to be still standing. Solomon and Anne had two children Eva (20) and Barney (18) born in Russia and several children Sarah (13) Rose (11), Lilian (10), Jack (8), and Morris (6) all born in Canada. From the tombstone we know that Solomon and Anne had at least one more child Ida in 1918 but also had one more son, Percy born 30 August 1919 who passed away after Solomon, on 18 May 1938 at the tender age of 17. Percy sadly took his own life. I wondered why he was not buried in the family plot and I had a hard time making out what written on the death certificate.(6) From what I was reading about historical views on suicides, it was possible that due to religious beliefs, he would not have received a funeral service and could not be buried in a Jewish cemetery. How heartbreaking. I did a little digging and discovered that he was indeed buried in Ohev Zedeck Cemetery and has a very touching stone. There are a couple of interesting things to note in his death registration. The person who made the registration was none other than his deceased father Solomon B Wright, and his mother's name is recorded as Bessie Appelbaum.(6) It appears that Percy was not living with his mom at the time but it seems his dad was living at the same address :) It was Percy who registered his father's death in 1934, but again in this record, his address differs from his dad's.
I suspected that Solomon lived in the US between 1901 and 1905 but that might not be the case. Two years before his death, Solomon made a third trip to the US and crossed on 13 Sept 1932. This time the information changes slightly, he was born in Moscow and his arrival in Halifax was in 1904. His place of residence, the same as when he died was 246 Victoria Ave N, Hamilton. This house does not appear to be standing anymore.(7)
I visited the Burlington Public Library to see if I could dig up some obituaries or announcements for the family. I scoured reel after reel and came up with a couple of things. The first was an announcement of Solomon's passing and a wonderful picture of him was included. It made the front page of the Hamilton Spectator on Oct 16, 1934.
The newspaper explained that Solomon was a beloved and prominent businessman in Hamilton and active within the Jewish community. He owned the Wright Fruit Company. The Hamilton Public Library contains over a dozen pictures of the business and explains that he owned the company with his brother Percy. The business started originally at 25 York Street and had additional locations at 31 York Street and 77 McNab. The sites include ripening rooms that were used to ripen their products before sale. (8)
Solomon was the treasurer of the Hamilton Branch of Grand Order of Israel Benefit Society for 15 years and the grand treasurer for the society for 3 years. He was an active member of the Beth Jacob Synagogue and served as an officer and president over the years. He was also chairman of burial branch of the Hamilton lodge as well as past president of the United Hebrew Association, was a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan. He gave generously to erect the Adas Israel Anshe Sfard synagogue on Cannon St in Hamilton and in celebration of their 37th wedding anniversary in 1933, Solomon and his wife donated the Holy Ark. (9)
(1)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 495
(2)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 163
(3)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 163
(4)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Passengers Arriving at St. Albans, VT, District through Canadian Pacific and Atlantic Ports, 1895-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1464; Roll Number: 117
(5) 1921 Census of Canada, Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 63; Census Place: 63, Hamilton West, Ontario; Page Number: 6
(6)Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 614
(7)The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, New York, 1902-1954; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: M1480; Roll Number: 163
(8) Hamilton Public Archive (Ont.) Local History and Archives http://206.130.179.229/index.php/ho96i
(9) Hamilton Spectator, 16 October 1934, page 1
