Moses G Wadsworth

Moses and his wife took turns on living on their two farms, both in Spanish Needle Prairie, After his wife died, Moses returned to Auburn with four of his children. The infant Frank remained with his mother's family. He had learned the carpenter's trade from his father and assisted in the construction of many houses usually working under his uncle, Samuel Goodwin. About 1859, he built a house south of his father's orchard. He remarried and lived there with his family.

From 1874 until his retirement, he published the Auburn Citizen. Eventually he and his wife moved to Denver, where their son Charles and his family were living.

Moses was a writer. Rhyming came easily to him and he would write letters in rhyme. He was a natural musician, and had attended singing-school in boyhood as did many of the children in his day. He knew hundreds of songs and played the accordion and French harp, a mouth organ. He was a great whistler and also had a good tenor voice. He was a cheerful, courteous, old-fashioned gentleman.

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PORTRAIT & BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF SANGAMON COUNTY, ILLINOIS Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1891 These biographies were submitted by a researcher and are abstracted from the above named publication.. Errors could occur, so one should always verify the correctness by obtaining copies of vitals and performing all necessary research to document what is contained herein.

WADSWORTH, MOSES GOODWIN is well known throughout this part of the State as the editor and proprietor of the Citizen, published in Auburn, which is the leading weekly paper of Southern Sangamon County. Our subject and his son, Charles F., are in partnership, and besides the publication of this paper do a good business in job printing.

Mr. Wadsworth comes of an old New England family. His father, Daniel Wadsworth, was born in Winthrop, Me., and was a son of Moses Wadsworth, who was a native of Stoughton, Mass., where he carried on farming in early life. He removed to Maine when he was a young man and successfully engaged in his occupation at Litchfield. He was of English descent and a Quaker in religion.

The father of our subject early learned the trade of a carpenter, and subsequently engaged in business as a contractor and builder at Hallowell, Me., until 1840. In that year he emigrated with his family to this State and located in the old town of Auburn, where he engaged at his trade, and also followed farming. During the last years of his life he lived retired. He passed away from the scenes of earth December 30, 1888, in his ninetieth year. He was a Mason for sixty-seven years, and one of the oldest in the State. He was a Knight Templar and helped to organize the first Grand Chapter of Illinois at Springfield. He was also active in religious matters, was a stanch member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was Class-Leader and also held other offices.

Margaret F. Goodwin was the maiden name of the mother of our subject. She was born in Freeport, Me., and was a daughter of Daniel and Sallie (Haskell) Goodwin, of Maine. Her father was a farmer and died at St. Albans in Somerset County. Mrs. Wadsworth died in May, 1889, in the eighty-eighth year of her age, after a long wedded life of sixty-six years. She was the mother of the following four children: Emily N., afterward Mrs. Harlan Corzine, who died in May, 1888; Moses Goodwin; Sarah A., now Mrs. N. N. Williams, of Boulder, Colo.; Abbie J., now Mrs. Pinkham of Anatone, Wash.

The subject of this biographical notice was born in Hallowell, Me., February 3, 1826. He was in his fifteenth year when he came to this State with his parents. He attended school three months after his arrival, and continued to live with his father and mother until he was twenty-one years old, when he was married, the first time, in Macoupin County in the month of September, 1847, to Elizabeth F. Wheeler. She was a native of Hopkinsville, Ky., and a aughter of James and Catharine Wheeler, of that State. Her parents were pioneers of Macoupin County, where her father carried on farming. A happy wedded life of ten years was brought to a close in May, 1857, by Mrs. Wadsworth's death. She was the mother of the following children: Eugene, who lives with his father; Margaret C., who married D. H. Tomlinson, and died in Butler, Ind., in March, 1875, leaving one son; Flora E., who married J. Ballenger, Marshal of the city of Hutchinson, Kan., and has two children; Susan E. M., who married W. W. Lowry, of Auburn Township, and has four children; and James F. D., residing in this State near Plainview, who married Emma Notherton and has four sons.

After marriage Mr. Wadsworth engaged in farming, locating on a farm in Macoupin County. At different times he owned four different farms there, but after his wife's death he disposed of his property in that section and came to Auburn, where he was engaged at the trade of a carpenter some years. In 1874 he abandoned that and entered a new field of labor, establishing then the Auburn Herald. In 1875 he changed the name of the paper to the Citizen, and has made of it a sound and reliable family newspaper that has a good irculation and is a welcome guest in many households throughout the country. It is a five-column quarto weekly paper, is edited with intelligence, is a newsy sheet and contains much valuable information for its readers. It is independent in its views, and in politics supports the man rather than the party.

Mr. Wadsworth is a valuable acquisition to the citizenship of Auburn and has done good service in various official capacities. He was Township Clerk three years, was Assessor one year and was Collector six years. He is prominent among the Masons as Secretary of the Arch and Anchor Lodge, No. 354, which position he has held with honor for twenty consecutive years. He is a leading member of the Sangamon County Old Settlers' Association and Vice-President for Auburn for ten years past. He and his amiable wife are devoted members of the Christian Church, of which he is Assistant Elder and Trustee, and he is also Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday school.

The marriage of Mr. Wadsworth with Miss Mary E. Day was solemnized in November, 1862, and has proved a mutually felicitous union. Mrs. Wadsworth is a native of Petersburg, Ill., and a daughter of Bennett and Eva E. Day, of Ohio. Her father was a blacksmith by trade. The closing years of his life were passed in peace and comfort at the home of his daughter and our subject. Seven children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth, of whom three daughters died in infancy. Their other children are: Harry E., Secretary, Treasurer and stockholder of the Lander Roller Milling Company at Lander, Wyo.; Charles F., who is in partnership with his father, and who married Viola Brownell, of Chatham; Mary F., a graduate of the Auburn High School, who is now visiting with friends at Aptos, Cal.; and Eva Margaret who is at home with her parents.

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