Descendants of first DeLand mayor receive keys to city, present historical archives

At its July 15 meeting, the DeLand City Commission hosted descendants of the first mayor of DeLand, Cyrenius Henry Wright.

The great-great grandson and great-great-great grandson of the mayor, Silas Bennett Wright III and Silas Bennett Wright IV, stopped by City Hall to meet the current mayor of DeLand Chris Cloudman who gave the father and son keys to the city in a historical nod to the part their ancestors played in the establishment and flourishment of the community.

Silas Bennett Wright III and family now make their home in Grapevine, Texas.

According to City of DeLand spokesman Chris Graham, the founding mayor's relatives also presented some of the local history the family has documented.

Among the written narratives they shared: "Cyrenius Henry Wright and his son-in-law Captain John Rich visited the area in 1875. Rich and Wright would both go on to purchase plots of land, and a few months later Rich built the first cabin here, with Wright constructing his own home the next year.

"By 1881, land had been cleared for cabins and homes, a small schoolhouse, church, post office and store. On March 13, 1882, the town was incorporated and Wright (was sworn in) in Rich's cabin.

"The Mayor addressed the crowd present for the occasion, saying: 'With justifiable pride, we review the six short years since, with axes on shoulder, we here pitched our camp with only wild woods around us and commenced our onslaught upon the sturdy pines. Less than five years since, the few persons residing here met to take the initiating steps toward the laying out a town and otherwise furthering the interests of such social, educational and moral organizations as follow closely new settlements in all civilized communities. Subsequently, in this cabin also was held the first public and religious services within the town. In the minds of many of us, those associations will live never to be forgotten.'"

Mayor Cyrenius Henry Wright would also serve as the city's first justice of the peace and his son, Silas B. Wright, as the city's first fire chief.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: What's old is new again: City of DeLand gets a history lesson