James Wadsworth (mayor)

James Wadsworth
Member of the New York State Senate from the 31st District
In office January 1, 1856 – August 18, 1858
Preceded by	James O. Putnam
Succeeded by	Erastus S. Prosser
21st Mayor of Buffalo
In office March 4, 1851 – March 9, 1852
Preceded by	Henry K. Smith
Succeeded by	Hiram Barton
Personal details
Born	August 25, 1819 Durham, Connecticut
Died	May 18, 1891(1891-05-18) (aged 71) Yonkers, New York
Political party	Locofocos, Democrat
Spouses	Rosetta F. Robinson ​ ​ (m. 1845; died 1866)​ Virginia C. Conklin ​ (m. 1873)​
Children	6
Parent(s)	Wedworth Wadsworth, Jr. Content Scranton
Alma mater	Yale College (1841)

James Wadsworth (August 25, 1819 – May 18, 1891) was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1851–1852.

Early life

Wadsworth was born in Durham, Connecticut, on August 25, 1819, to Wedworth Wadsworth, Jr. (1782–1860) and Content (née Scranton) Wadsworth (1783–1839). His elder brothers included Wedworth Wadsworth (1811-1874) and William Wadsworth (c. 1817 – 1870), the Durham Town Clerk and Justice of the Peace. Wadsworth graduated from Yale College in 1841.

Family

His paternal grandfather, John Noyes Wadsworth II (1758–1814) was the elder brother of William Wadsworth (1765–1833) and James Wadsworth (1768–1844), who settled in and founded Geneseo. Their father, John Noyes Wadsworth (1732–1817) was the younger brother of James Wadsworth (1730–1816), a Brigadier General in the American Revolution and later an anti-Federalist during the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in Connecticut. They were all members of the prominent Wadsworth family of Connecticut, descended from William Wadsworth (1594–1675), one of the Founders of Hartford, Connecticut, who under, the leadership of Pastor Thomas Hooker, helped found that city in June 1636.

Career

After graduating from Yale in 1841, he moved to Buffalo. In 1843, he moved back to New Haven, Connecticut, and for two years studied literature and then law.

In 1845, he returned to Buffalo, and established the law firm of Wadsworth & Cameron. He became involved in real estate and purchased land from Judge Ebenezer Walden. In 1850, he was chosen Buffalo city attorney. On March 4, 1851, was elected as the Locofoco candidate for mayor. During his term, the New York and Erie Railroad was completed from New York to Dunkirk and the Buffalo Female Academy opened. His term as mayor ended on March 9, 1852.

In 1851, Wadsworth became president of the Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railroad and continued this after his mayoral term ended. He was a Democratic member of the New York State Senate (31st D.) from 1856 to 1858, sitting in the 79th, 80th and 81st New York State Legislatures. He resigned his seat on August 18, 1858.

Later career

In 1859, he removed to New York City, and for the next 25 years he was engaged in "various railway, mining, and oil companies." He worked for Wells & Fargo's Overland Express, and practiced law part of the time. He also served as chairman of the Loyal League of Union Citizens during the U.S. Civil War.

Personal life

On September 8, 1845, he married Rosetta F. Robinson. Together, they were the parents of six children, including:

• Wedworth Wadsworth (1846–1926), a painter and author.
• Augustus Henry Wadsworth (1850–1861)
• Rose Frances Wadsworth (1856–1939)
• Hannah Wadsworth (b. 1856)
• James Wadsworth, Jr. (b. 1860)

After her death in 1866, he remarried to Virginia C. Conklin of Norfolk, Virginia, on July 9, 1873. Around 1889, he was placed in an institution in Yonkers, New York, where died May 18, 1891, and was buried at Durham, Connecticut.