Why Monticello and Wright County?

One often wonders why people act the way they do, and in George Bertram’s case, what led him to settle in Monticello and Wright County? By looking into his past, we can find some significant reasons why he did so.

In 1812 George Bertram’s parents, Andrew and Allison, immigrated from Glascow, Scotland to a small town 120 miles NW from Manhattan, NY named Delhi. This town was located along the Delaware River in the county named Otsego. Hmmm

The road from New York City to Delhi was little more than a wagon trail but it passed through the Catskill Mountains with the rolling hills and valleys. Along the road was a larger town of Monticello, New York.

What a coincidence!  But wait – there’s more. Early on in Minnesota’s history there was an attempt at creating a small town along the Mississippi River near Dayton, Minnesota. This town, which eventually disappeared, went by the name of Delhi.

Lastly, what about the county name – Wright? The county was named after a person named Silas Wright from Orange County, New York who happened to be the representative from the same area from where the Bartram’s were living. Wright was an U.S. Representative as well as the Governor of New York from 1845-1846.

So when George and Julia Bertram were looking for a place to call home, they saw Otsego, Monticello, Delhi and Wright all along the beautiful Mississippi River.

*Note: the BARTRAM spelling is correct and will be addressed in a later tidbit.