Wright sign, “If You Lived In Wright, You Would Be Home Now” turns 50 years old

WRIGHT - There is a landmark in Wright, La. that turns 50 years old this summer, but don’t expect a big celebration.

For a half of a century, the sign, “If You Lived In Wright, You Would Be Home Now” has hung on a rice dryer owned by the Hair family. The sign is visible to traffic that passes on La. 14 between Gueydan and Kaplan.

The community of Wright is halfway (seven miles) between Kaplan and Gueydan. When the sign was hung on the rice dryer in 1961, there were about 20 people who lived in the community. Today, the population still remains about 20 but the rice dryer and community store have since closed.

The creation of the sign was the brain child of teen boys who had nothing better to do one day.

When Billy Hair, who still lives in Wright, was around 15 years old, he travelled to Texas with his family. En route to Texas, the family drove through a community near Sulphur.

In the community was the sign, “If You Lived in Maplewood, You’d Be Home.” Billy was impressed with the sign and determined to make one for Wright.

He returned and got together with his Wright cousins and the Baker brothers who lived down the road. He told them about the sign and they all agreed to make one. The first thing they needed was a 4x8 piece of plywood which they found. The teen-age boys painted the letters on the plywood they had painted white.

Billy could not remember who hung up the sign. Pat, Billy’s cousin, somewhat remembers a rice truck being backed up to the rice dryer and then someone placing a 20-foot ladder on the back of the rice truck.

“I never thought it would stay this long,” said Billy, who is now 66 years old. “We just did it. The sign has taken on its own life.”

Since that summer day, the sign has withstood a few hurricanes. Hair family members have done their best to keep it looking sharp by painting it.

After hanging in the elements for 44 years, the wooden sign finally fell during a hurricane. The plywood broke into pieces and was beyond repair. A few years ago, Ann Hair, the daughter of Mildred and Walton, did not like having no sign on the rice dryer. Instead of putting back a sheet of plywood, she had a professional sign maker create the sign.

For the last few years, the sign is back delivering the same message it has been doing for 50 years.

“People enjoy seeing it,” said Mildred. “It has become part of Wright.”