When a U.S. Marshal Discovers His Grandfather’s Prohibition Secret

Have you ever wondered what secrets might be hiding in your family tree? What if I told you that sometimes the most remarkable family stories begin with a simple question and end up leading us down unexpected paths that change everything?

That's exactly what happened when U.S. Marshal Rusty Wright reached out to Ancestry with a straightforward request: he wanted to learn more about the grandfather he never knew. What unfolded next was a story that none of us could have predicted – one that would take us from a county jail in Prohibition-era Florida all the way back to the Oregon Trail, and eventually lead to healing a century-old family wound.

"The police have nothing on me," Leland Wright boldly declared to a newspaper reporter after his arrest for running an illegal still. Nearly a century later, his grandson Rusty Wright would read those words and laugh at the irony. After spending 17 years as a deputy sheriff followed by his current role as a U.S. Marshal, Rusty never imagined he'd discover that his own grandfather had once stood on the other side of the law.

The Whole Story

If you haven’t listened to Rusty’s story yet, you can watch it here:

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🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:

• How a single draft card filed from a county jail launched an epic family history journey
• The touching way Rusty's aunt, at age 9, preserved crucial clues about her father's life
• How Leland Wright's journey took him from being born on the Oregon Trail to becoming a Florida boat captain
• The remarkable story of unclaimed ashes at Oregon State Hospital and how they finally found their way home
• How DNA testing helped connect scattered branches of a family separated for generations

The Power of One Story

What strikes me most about Rusty's story is how a single record – in this case, a World War I draft card – can open doors to countless family connections. That one document, with its simple notation of "county jail" as an address, didn't just reveal Leland Wright's brush with Prohibition laws. It became the first thread in unraveling a much larger family tapestry.

Your Story

Think about the "black sheep" in your family tree. Those ancestors whose choices might have raised eyebrows in their time often leave the most interesting paper trails for us to follow. Instead of judging their actions through a modern lens, what if we used their stories to understand the complex circumstances that shaped their lives?

Story Seeds 🌱

Plant these conversation starters and watch your family stories grow.

1. Are there any family stories about ancestors who had run-ins with the law? What were the circumstances of their time that might explain their choices?
2. Has anyone in your family made a cross-country journey that changed the course of your family's history? What prompted them to make such a bold move?
3. Do you have any ancestors who seemed to disappear from family records? What resources might help you track their final chapters?
4. Have DNA matches ever revealed surprising connections in your family? How did those discoveries change your understanding of your family story?

Story Sparks 🔑

Unlock your family's hidden stories with these research techniques.

1. Always check both sides of draft registration cards – they often contain unexpected details about where your ancestor was living and what they were doing at the time.
2. When searching newspapers for ancestors who may have had legal troubles, try searching for their name alongside terms like "police," "arrest," or "court" to uncover potential stories.
3. If you discover an ancestor was in an institution like a poorhouse or state hospital, contact the facility's modern equivalent – many maintain historical records and may even have photographs or personal effects.
4. Create a custom timeline for each ancestor that includes historical events (like Prohibition) that might have influenced their choices and circumstances.

The story of Leland Wright reminds us that family history isn't just about collecting names and dates – it's about understanding the complex lives our ancestors led and how their choices continue to ripple through generations. Whether they were bootleggers or lawmen, pioneers or sailors, each ancestor's story adds another rich layer to our family's narrative.

Ready to discover what unexpected stories might be hiding in your family tree? Subscribe to Stories That Live In Us wherever you get your podcasts. And if you like this episode, please leave us a rating and review – it helps other family story seekers find us.

© 2024 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.