Person:Jacob Wardwell (4)

In Haverhill at 1880, on Richmond Street in Haverhill at 1900, 1910 and 1920 census. House on Richmond Street valued at $20,000 at 1930 census.

"J. Otis Wardwell, son of Zenas C. and Adriana S. Wardwell was born in Lowell, Mass. , March 14, 1856. His parents moved to Groveland in 1860. He was educated in the common schools, at the Georgetown High School, at the New London Academy and at the Boston University Law School, where he graduated with the degree of LL. B. in the class of 1879. He then studied law with Samuel J. Elder in Boston and with J. P. and B.B. Jones in Haverhill, and was admitted to the Essex Bar in 1879. He then took up his residency in Haverhill and formed a law partnership with Henry N. Merrill, under the firm name of Merrill & Wardwell. This partnership continued until Dec. 1, 1891, when Mr. Wardwell retired from the firm and is now practising in Boston, with his office at No. 53 State Street, although residing in Haverhill. He has always taken an active interest in politics, and was elected a member of the Common Council in 1882. In 1887 he was elected to the lower branch of the Massachusetts Legislature as a Republican, and was honored with five consecutive terms in that body. Early in his first session he was prominent in debates, and at the close of the session was regarded as one of the leaders of the House. At the beginning of his second year he was recognized as the Republican Leader upon the floor, which position he held during the remainder of his legislative service. He was twice a candidate for Speaker of the House, and was defeated in the second contest by only two votes, after one of the hardest contests in the history of of the Commonwealth. While a member of the Legislature he served on the following committees: Elections (Chairman), Probate and Insolvency , Mercantile Affairs (Chairman), Judiciary, Rules (Chairman) and was a member of the special committee to investigate the charges of corrupt use of money in the passage of the bill to incorporate the town of Beverly Farms. He was also chairman of a committee to investigate similar charges as to the bill for granting franchises to elevated roads in Boston. Both of these investigations attracted widespread attention, and Mr. Wardwell was highly complimented for the manner in which he presided over them. During his entire legislative service, he was always prominent in debates upon all public questions particularly those relating to the the right of suffrage, such as the abolishment of the poll-tax qualification as a prerequisite to the right to vote. As a member of the "No Tax League," he joined with some of the most prominent Republicans in the State in asking for the amendment to the constitution in favor of the abolition as above stated. He always favored progressive temperance legislation and all legislation protecting the ballot. He was not only active in the Legislature, but upon the stump during campaigns of the last six years, in which he was very prominent. For several years Mr. Wardwell has been an active member of the Republican State Committee, and served as assistant secretary two years and secretary three years. He has a wide acquaintance with contemporary public men and measures." -Massachusetts of to-day : a memorial of the state, historical and biographical, issued for the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago Boston: Columbia Pub. Co., 1892

"WARDWELL, JACOB OTIS, of Haverhill, counsel for leading electrical and other corporations, was born in Lowell, Mass., March 14, 1857. Zenas C. Wardwell, father of the subject of this sketch, left the old home in Maine, and transferred his residence first to Lowell, and later to Groveland, Mass. Mr. Wardwell took an active part in the political affairs of Essex county, and was a prominent factor in his day. After, serving as selectman of the town of Groveland, he was a representative to the State legislature in 1870, and was a member of the State senate for the years 1874 and 1875. At the state house he had a large share of committee work, which he filled with honor to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He married Miss Adriana S. Pillsbury, and died Oct. 10, 1892. Young Wardwell was four years old when his parents moved to Groveland, and his boyhood days were passed in that town. His primary education was received in the local schools and the Georgetown High School, the finishing touches, being added at the New London Academy. Choosing the profession of law, he commenced his study in the office of J. P. & B. B. Jones of Haverhill, and later with Samuel J. Elder of Boston. After passing through the offices of these gentlemen, he entered Boston University, from which he was graduated in the class of 1879. The same year he was admitted to the bar of Essex county, and taking up his residence in Haverhill, he began the practice of his profession at once. His first business connection was with Henry N. Merrill, under the firm name of Merrill & Wardwell. This relation continued until Dec. 1, 1881, when Mr. Wardwell withdrew from the partnership and established his office in Boston, in which city he still continues to practice. For the last six years Mr. Wardwell has made a specialty of corporation law, and in this field has gained an honorable name for himself, as well as an extensive practice. He was the general counsel for the different roads around Salem in their late consolidation. The roads were the Lynn & Boston, the Naumkeag & Essex, of Salem, and the Belt Line, all of which have been incorporated under the general name of the Lynn & Boston road. He was also the counsel for a similar consolidation of the roads in the Merrimac Valley, - including the Haverhill and Groveland, and Essex and Lawrence roads, under the name of the Lowell, Lawrence & Haverhill Street Railway Company. This was one of the first combinations in the State to receive a charter giving the "right of eminent domain." He acted in the same capacity for the roads centering around Brockton, and was one of the counsel for the increase of the Bell Telephone Company, when the stock of that company was enlarged $50,000,000. The bare enumeration of these various companies will show something of Mr. Wardwell's capabilities as a lawyer, and also the favor in which he is held by large corporations. At this time he is the general counsel for the Edison Electric Illuminating Company, of Boston ; and of the Boston Elevated Railway Company ; of the Massachusetts Electric Lighting Association, and. of the Massachusetts Gas Lighting Association. Mr. Wardwell commenced his acquaintance with political affairs when he was only seventeen, being then appointed a page in the lower house of the legislature. He served in this capacity for two years, and acquired a taste for politics that has never left him. Soon after he established his residence in Haverhill he took an active interest in the affairs of the city, acting with the Republican party, and became prominent among its younger leaders. The first official position which he held was as a member of the Haverhill common council, to which he was elected in 1882. Five years later he was elected to the lower house of the legislature, and through successive elections served for five consecutive terms. During his first year of service, he was chairman of the committee on Elections, and a member of the committee on Probate and Insolvency ; also a member of the special committee to investigate the charges of the corrupt use of money in the passage of the bill to incorporate the town of Beverly Farms. The second year he was a member of the Judiciary Committee. In his third year he was a member of the committee on the judiciary and on Rules. The fourth year he served on the same committees, being chairman of the committee on Rules. He was also chairman of the committee to investigate charges regarding the illegitimate use of money to influence a bill for granting franchises for elevated railroads in Boston. The last year of his service he was chairman of the committee on Rules, and chairman of the committee on Mercantile Affairs. Commencing with his first year he was conspicuous in his committee work, and took a leading part in the debates in the House. He was twice a candidate for speaker of the House, and in the second contest, which was one of the hardest known in the history of the Commonwealth, he was defeated in the Republican caucus by only two votes. A liberal share of work in connection with the management of the Republican party of the State has been given to Mr. Wardwell, and he has rendered no small service to his party in different capacities. He was a member of the Republican State Committee from 1885 to 1894, serving as secretary for the years 1889, 189o and 1891, having formerly been assistant secretary for two years. He is now (1898) serving as a member of the State committee, and as in the past, wields a laboring oar. Mr. Wardwell has taken a prominent part in the club life of the State. At this time he is a member of the Pentucket and Wachusett clubs, of Haverhill, and the Republican, Essex, Middlesex and Exchange clubs. He is also a member of the Masonic order, and has served as master of Saggahew Lodge, and is a Knight Templar of the Haverhill commandery. He has been president of the Essex club and of the Pentucket club, of Haverhill. In his special field of corporation law, Mr. Wardwell has gained an enviable reputation for himself, though he is comparatively well known in other branches of his profession. As a member of the legislature he contributed a liberal share to all the work of the different years, and as secretary of the State committee his work received the highest praise from his party associates. Mr. Wardwell was married Dec. 25, 1877, to Miss Ella M., daughter of Sheldon M. and Delia A. Eaton, of Bristol, Vt. They have two children, Sheldon E.. and Chester Alan Wardwell." -Representative men of Massachusetts, 1890-1900 : the leaders in official, business and professional life of the commonwealth. Everett, Mass.: Massachusetts Pub. Co., 1898, c1897, 559 pgs.

MR. WARDWELL'S AMBITION Boston, Aug. 21.-J. Otis Wardwell, the Secretary of the Republican State Committee, has put aside his aspirations to be Speaker of the House of Representatives and is going in to get himself elected to the Senate from the Haverhill district in place of Senator Pike, and then in 1890 he will try to succeed Gen. William Cogswell of Salem as the representative to Congress from the Seventh District, say the Prohibitionists. This plan has only recently been decided upon by Mr. Wardwell, and the change is said to be due to grave doubts on his part as to the outcome of his contest for the Speakership. In entering the race for the Senatorship he has taken quite a job on his shoulders. The district is composed of Haverhill. Merrimac, Salisbury, and four wards of Newburyport. According to traditional custom, the nomination this year should go to Newburyport, and so Mr. Wardwell, coming from Haverhill, will meet with considerable opposition in the former city. But it is in Haverhill itself that the chief fuss is expected, and there Mr. Wardwell will have to settle an old score with his opponents. The story goes back to 1886, when ex-Postmaster Blunt of that city was candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress against Gen. Cogswell. Wardwell was then ostensibly a supporter of Mr. Blunt, but it was noted that Gen. Cogswell was nominated. and that Mr. Blunt's friends thought Wardwell worked a great deal harder for Gen. Corsweil's election than he did for Blunt's nomination. They have been disgruntled ever since, and this fooling was heightened last year when Blunt wanted to be State Treasurer and Wardwell did not enthuse much over it. Should Wardwell be elected to the Senate he would be in good trim for a fight for the Congressional nomination, and the Blunt men are sure that that is what he is after. They are probably correct in this belief. Blunt has many friends who want to see him succeed Gen. Cogswell, and they are therefore very indignant at what then call Wardwell's overweening ambition. The temperance wing of the party will oppose Wardwell bitterly on account of his vote on the liquor question at the State House last year. -New York Times 22 August 1889

"Mr. J. Otis Wardwell, of Boston, Mass., law partner of Attorney General Moody, and Mrs. Wardwell arrived here Thursday night and are guests at the Hotel Iredell. Mr. Wardwell is out for good quail shooting and he came to Statesville at the suggestion of Judge Jas. E. Boyd. He and Mrs. Wardwell have been hunting since they came here under the chaperonage of Col. H.C. Cowles. They will remain in Statesville until about the 6th of December." -The Statesville, NC Landmark 28 November 1905

"Wardwell is Beaten After Being Twenty-Five Years in Office Peabody, Mass., Sept. 28- The defeat of J.O. Wardwell, for the past twenty-five years a member of the Republican state committee and for many years of the executive board, by J.F. Batchelder of Haverhill, was the feature of the Republican convention, in the fourth Essex senatorial district. The alleged prominence of Wardwell in the legislative "lobby" was a factor in the campaign against him. Senator Lodge's name was also used frequently in connection with Wardwell." -Fitchburg Daily Sentinel 28 September 1909

J. OTIS WARDWELL, BOSTON LAWYER, 83 Corporation Counsel Had Served Republican State Committee HAVERHILL, Mass., Sept. 10 (AP)-J. Otis Wardwell, corporation lawyer and for many years a Republican State leader, died today after a long illness at the age of 83. He was elected to the Republican State Committee in 1884 and served twenty-five years, three as secretary, and was party floor leader in the House four of five years he served in the Legislature. Mr. Wardwell was at one time a law partner of the late William H. Moody, associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, and had served as counsel for the Edison Electric Company of Boston, the Bell Telephone Company, the Boston Elevated and the New York Central Railroad. Long counsel to large public utility and railroad interests, Mr. Wardwell also had represented insurance firms. Born in Lowell, Mass., he was the son of the late Zenas C. Wardwell and the late Mrs. Adriana S. Pillsbury Wardwell. He attended Georgetown High School, New London Academy and Boston University Law School, having been graduated from the latter in 1879, in which year he began the practice of law. Mr. Wardwell moved to Haverhill in 1879 and Boston in 1893. He soon became interested in politics. From 1884 to 1909 he was a member of the State committee of his party and for three of those years he was its secretary. He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1887-92 and was chairman of its committees on mercantile affairs and elections. He became counsel for the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston in 1893. -New York Times, 11 September 1940

Ellis Island Records show him arriving 21 May 1923 aboard the Fort Victoria from Bermuda, with his wife.

1. ↑ Lowell, Massachusetts Vital Records 1856, Volume 97, Page 163.

   Lowell, Massachusetts Vital Records 1856, Volume 97, Page 163

2. ↑ New York Times 11 September 1940.