William Wardwell

William Thomas Wardwell

• Born February 1, 1827 in Bristol, RI USA
• Died January 3, 1911 in New York, NY USA

Biographical Information

William Wardwell was born in Bristol, RI in 1827 and raised as a Protestant and came from a Puritan family. His family moved to Niles, MI when he was 9 years old and owned a farm there. By the age of 13, he had gone to Buffalo, NY to work in an office for his uncle who was heavily involved in the oil business, and a few years later William himself opened a petroleum refinery. He got married to Eliza Lanterman in 1853 and had 8 children with her (though 6 of them died before they were even adults).

It was in Buffalo that he discovered baseball and joined the Buffalo Niagaras of the National Association of Base Ball Players in the 1850s. He played third base for the team and was a member of their 1859 championship team. After this he moved to New York City.

In 1875, the Standard Oil Company bought his factory and he eventually ended up becoming treasurer of the company. Despite having so much power with a company at a time when tensions were rising between owners and workers, Wardwell was said to have been a charitable person. He was very involved with the local community and donated money to local businesses, fundraisers, and more, though this may have been exaggerated to paint him in a better light due to his staunch support of the corrupt New York Democratic Party of Tammany Hall with figures such as William Tweed practicing corruption at levels heretofore unknown.

Wardwell ended up switching his political affiliation to the Prohibition Party in 1884 and tried to run for mayor of NYC on various occasions but lost every time. In 1900 he tried to run for governor of New York but again, did not win.

Here is Wardwell's statement from his 1900 campaign:

"I can only say, if the people of this State ratify this choice and shall elect me Governor, I will in loyalty to the spirit of the Prohibition Party, to the best of my ability, give to the people of this State an honest, practical, business like administration, seeking only to establish and conserve that which will be for the best interest for this State and the people thereof. An administration unconcerned by 'bosses' and over which the arrogance and blighting influence of the liquor interest will have no power. ..... Time and experience do not weaken, but demonstrate more and more the need of a Prohibition Party. Never was the hopelessness of reform in the old parties more apparent than now. ..... We believe a new day has dawned, one in which moral principle shall have a voice in party politics, and righteousness, the righteousness which exalteth the nation, shall control in civic government. ..... It is a time for Prohibitionists to hold fast to their convictions."

A few years after this, Wardwell began to suffer from heart problems that were later revealed to be heart disease. He eventually died from the condition on January 3, 1911 at the age of 83 after suffering a heart attack on a subway train.