Members of the Voorhees College African American Legacy Group on June 10-11 visited the hometown of the college's founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee, in Talbotton, Ga.

Wright-Menafee was born in Talbotton on April 3, 1872, the seventh child of carpenter John Wesley and homemaker Virginia Rolfe Wright.

The Legacy Group's visit included a lecture on the history of Talbot County, Ga. by Tom Bussey, the county's chief appraiser/auditor, and Robert Patrick, former superintendent of Talbot County Schools.

The group also planted roses and placed a historical marker in front of St. Phillips Church which Wright attended in the 1870s and 1880s. Wright completed her basic education at St. Phillips and went on to attend Tuskegee Institute, where she was mentored by principal Booker T. Washington's wife, Olivia.

Due to illness, Wright dropped out of Tuskegee in her senior year. After recuperating for several months, she taught at a school in McNeill, S.C., beginning her dream of teaching black children. That school fell victim to white arsonists, cutting short Wright's tenure there. She then returned to Tuskegee, graduating in 1894.

Wright once again returned to McNeill to try to open a school for black children, but after two more arson incidents, she and her teachers decided to go to Denmark, where she opened the Denmark Industrial School in 1897. The school's name was changed to Voorhees Industrial School to honor philanthropists Ralph and Elizabeth Voorhees who provided the financial backing for the school.

Wright married Martin Menafee in 1906. She died at the age of 34 while being treated for illness at a hospital in Battle Creek, Mich.

The final day of the Voorhees College African American Legacy Group's visit to Talbotton included a workshop on using Ancestry.com and a reunion banquet attended by former Talbot County graduates.

Richard Reid is president of the Orangeburg Historical and Genealogical Society. His mission is researching Orangeburg history, with emphasis on African-Americans.