San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GEORGE WADSWORTH
Prominently identified with the
educational matters of the West Side section of San Joaquin County is George
Wadsworth, the efficient principal of the West Side Union High School. He was born in Brooklyn, Iowa, on November 7,
1886, a son of George and Mary (McMurray) Wadsworth, both natives of County
Antrim, Ireland. His father came to
America about 1835 and settled at Rock Island, Illinois, where he remained for
a few years then removed to Iowa, where he was married. His mother came to America at the age of
eighteen with a party of friends and became a sturdy pioneer woman of the
Middle West. Prior to the construction
of the railroads in the Middle West, George Wadsworth, Sr., operated a stage
route from Rock Island, Illinois, to St. Paul, Minnesota. When the great gold excitement in Colorado
was at its height, he freighted from Iowa to Cripple Creek, Colorado, and built
up a fine and profitable business. He
was a prominent Republican in his day and was a man of sterling qualities. While residing at his home in Iowa he was
killed by lightning during a severe electrical storm in 1909.
George entered the district school
in Brooklyn, Iowa, at the age of five years and in 1900 had finished the
grammar department; three years later he was graduated from the high school;
the following two years he taught school, being only eighteen years of
age. He then entered the University of
Iowa and in 1910 received his A. B. degree; the following year he removed to
Victor, Iowa, where he became the superintendent of the city schools, and in
this capacity proved himself capable and
successful. In 1911 he removed to Glenn
Ferry, Idaho, and became much interested in the development of the country
schools and acted as district superintendent.
At the end of one term, however, he withdrew to enter the real estate
business. Having acquired a half
interest in the Glenn Ferry Gazette, he was editor of this weekly newspaper of
the Snake River Valley; he also founded the Glenn Ferry Realty Company, which
is today a widely known firm. The
citizens of this new section showed their appreciation by electing him city
clerk and as such he made some very difficult decisions, which were upheld by
the higher courts when appealed. During
the period of fourteen months he proved up on a 160-acre homestead and did some
excellent pioneer work in the matter of irrigation development. Mr. Wadsworth was most successful as editor
of the Glenn Ferry Gazette, but in 1914 returned east and entered the
University of Chicago law school, completing the three-years
course in two and a half years, receiving his J. D. degree in 1916. He then returned west and during 1916 and
1917 was superintendent of schools at Grangeville, Idaho. In April of 1917 he was admitted to the bar
at Lewiston, Idaho, but during the fall of that year he removed to Tracy and
entered upon his duties as principal of the Union High School, at the time the
new buildings were completed, and filled the position of principal to the
entire satisfaction of the citizens of the West Side section. In the latter part of March, 1922, Mr.
Wadsworth resigned his principalship and formed a
partnership with Leland S. Kepler in the practice of
law and the new firm is enjoying a fast growing practice.
The marriage of Mr. Wadsworth
occurred in September of 1921 and united him with Miss Marguerite Humphrey of
Fresno, a daughter of Mrs. Anna Humphrey.
Mrs. Wadsworth is a graduate of the University of California. Fraternally, Mr. Wadsworth is a member of the
Sumner Lodge of Odd Fellows and of the Masons, and is secretary of the Lions
Club.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1032. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases