Wright Lewis Coffinberry (4/5/1807-3/26/1889) was a self taught civil engineer, watchmaker and archaeologist. Born in Ohio, he received a rudimentary primary education in a frontier school taught by his older brother. He learned civil engineering while working on several canal projects in Ohio. In 1831 he married Jane Beech (1805-1895) and for a time settled in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. During the mid-1840s he moved his family to Michigan, following two of his brothers who had moved to Michigan earlier. By 1848, Coffinberry resolved to move to Grand Rapids.

In Grand Rapids, Coffinberry worked as a watchmaker and civil engineer. He was responsible for a large number of additions platted for the city as well as several state road projects, principally the road from Kent County to Northport. During the Civil War he helped organize and was an officer of Co. C., 1st Regiment, Michigan Engineers.

Following the war Coffinberry was able to devote more attention to archaeology, a field in which he had been interested from childhood onward. He became a recognized expert in archaeology in West Michigan and was part of a three person team that first excavated the Indian mounds on Captain Norton's farm (commonly called the Norton Mounds). He also examined many mounds throughout the region and presented results of his findings to the Kent Scientific Institute.

Coffinberry and his wife had four children: Eunice (1836-1844); Andrew Beech (1837-1907); Rebecca Jane (1840-1930); and Julia Frances (1842-1926).