Owen Wright is a veteran businessman and public servant of the Cass County-Edwardsburg area. And his presentation in October on “People and Events in Mason Township” will draw on his vast experiences as a construction company owner, a former Mason Township supervisor, and lifelong resident whose family helped settle Cass County.

His presentation is at 7 p.m., Thurs., Oct. 16, at the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum.

His presentation will focus on the extensive contributions of two long-time Mason Township public servants, the late Waldo (Soapy) Ehret, a trustee for 42 years, and the late Supervisor Robert Smith. He will also cover the history of the township hall, which, as the District 5 Schoolhouse, is on the state and national historic registers.

Wright graduated from Constantine High School and attended Earlham College to study engineering. After marrying his wife, Sharon, who died in 2021, he served in the Army. He became vice president and general manager of John Wright and Sons Inc. in 1965.  It was a family partnership founded by his father in 1956.

The Osceola-based company specialized in construction throughout Michiana, including condominium and apartment projects, shopping centers, and home building. Wright purchased 60 acres on Redfield Street in 1978 and, in 1986, began developing the Maple Glen subdivision. Upon his retirement in 2003, he closed his business.

Wright served as president and a board member of the Edwardsburg Area Chamber of Commerce. He was also president of the Cass County chapter of the National Management Association and, in 1989, was named the chapter’s Manager of the Year. His public service includes the Cass County Board of Public Works. He served as the zoning administrator of Mason Township and was also a township trustee for four years.  He was elected Mason Township supervisor in 1996, serving until 2004. He is a member of the museum’s board of trustees.