Colvin named the 16th highest peak in 1873 after the 16th governor of New York state, Silas Wright. State botanist Charles H. Peck summited the 4,580-foot peak first in 1893 while studying the plants of the region. Wright, who graduated from Middlebury College in 1815, was part of a powerful coalition of Democrat governors called the “Albany Recency,” which also included Martin Van Buren, Marcy, and Dix. He was nominated for governor in 1844, and served just one term.
While governor, Wright’s administration oversaw the establishment of the University of Buffalo, the approval of a new state constitution, and the restructuring of the state school system. He retired from politics after unsuccessfully running for reelection. Earlier in his career, Wright served as the St. Lawrence County surrogate from 1821 to 1824, then spent the same next five years as a member of the New York State Senate. From 1827 to 1829, he served a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, then became New York comptroller until 1933. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1833, where he served until 1844, when he became governor.
“Silas Wright.” National Governors Association, NGA, www.nga.org/governor/silas-wright/.