Levi C. Wade
Levi Clifford Wade | |
|---|---|
 Wade in 1892 publication | |
| President of the Mexican Central Railroad[1] | |
| In office 1884[1]–1891[1] | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Nickerson |
| Succeeded by | Stephen W. Reynolds [2] |
| Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office 1879–1879 | |
| Preceded by | John Davis Long |
| Succeeded by | Charles J. Noyes |
| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives | |
| In office 1876–1879 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 16, 1843 Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 1891 (aged 48) Oak Hill, Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | Newton Cemetery, Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Margaret A. Rogers (m. 1869) |
| Children | 6 |
| Alma mater | Yale College (A.B.) |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician, railroad executive |
| Signature |  |
Levi Clifford Wade (January 16, 1843 – March 21, 1891) was a lawyer, politician and railroad executive who served as a member, and the Speaker of, the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1879,[3] and as the president of the Mexican Central Railway from 1884 until his death in 1891.[1][3]
Early life[edit]
Levi Clifford Wade was born on January 16, 1843, in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, to Levi Wade and A. Annie Wade (née Rogers).[3][4][5] He was educated at local schools until the age of 13 when he was privately tutored.[4]
At the age of 16, he entered Lewisburg University to study law.[4] He entered Yale College at the age of 19 in 1862 and became an editor of the Yale Literary Magazine.[3][4] Wade graduated from Yale College in 1866 with a Bachelor of Arts.[3][4][6] After Yale, he went to the Newton Theological Institution in October 1866 and studied exegesis under Horatio Balch Hackett and theology under Alvah Hovey.[3][4]
Family life[edit]
Wade married Margaret A. Rogers of Bath, Maine, on November 16, 1869.[3][4] Together, they had four sons (Arthur, William, Levi, and Robert) and two daughters that died in infancy.[3][4]
They lived in a small house in Newton Upper Falls from 1869 to 1881. After, they moved to a 225-acre estate called "Homewood" in Oak Hill, Newton, Massachusetts.[3]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
From 1868 to 1873, Wade taught at a grammar school in Newton Upper Falls in Newton, Massachusetts, while studying law.[3][4]
Legal career[edit]
Wade was admitted to the bar in 1873, and entered the law office of I.W. Richardson.[4] Wade practiced law in Boston, Massachusetts, first as a solo practitioner in 1875, then in 1877 until May 1, 1880, in partnership with future Governor John Q. A. Brackett.[3][4][6]
State legislature[edit]
In 1876, Wade was elected to the Massachusetts General Court and served until 1879.[3] In 1879, he was selected as the speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[4]
Career in the railroad industry[edit]
On May 1, 1880, Wade took up railway law. He was one of the four original projectors and owners of the Mexican Central Railway.[3][4] He became counsel of the Mexican Central Railway, Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway, Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, and the Sonora Railroad.[4] Wade served as the President of the Mexican Central Railway from August 1884 until his death.[1][3] He was a business partner of Albert W. Nickerson.[7]
He also served as the director of the Mexican Central Railway, Sonora Railroad, Cincinnati, Sandusky, & Cleveland Railroad, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, and the Theological Library in Boston.[3][4] He served on the water board of Newton.[3][4]
Illness and death[edit]
On March 21, 1891, after a lingering illness of only a few weeks, Wade died at his "Homewood" residence at Oak Hill.[6][4] He was interred at Newton Cemetery.[8]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Pletcher, David M. (1998), The Diplomacy of Trade and Investment: American Economic Expansion in the Hemisphere, 1865-1900, Columbia, Missouri: University of Missouri Press, p. 96
- ^ Busbey, T. A. (1893), Who's Who in Railroading and Rail Transit - Edition of 1893, Chicago, Illinois: The Lakeside Press, p. 308
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Hurd, Duane Hamilton (1890), History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men Vol. III, Philadelphia, PA: J. W. Lewis & CO., pp. 171–172
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Levi C. Wade is dead". The Boston Globe. March 22, 1891. p. 6. Retrieved February 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Levi Wade collection (1866-1902)". umich.edu. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c Bacon, Edwin M. (1892), Boston of To-Day: A Glance at Its History and Characteristics, Boston, Ma: Post Publishing Company, p. 430
- ^ "Life is Ended". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. May 18, 1893. p. 1. Retrieved December 29, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hon. Levi C. Wade's Funeral". The Journal. Meriden, Connecticut. March 25, 1891. p. 6. Retrieved February 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1843 births
- 1891 deaths
- Yale College alumni
- 19th-century American railroad executives
- Speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
- Massachusetts lawyers
- 19th-century American legislators
- 19th-century American lawyers
- 19th-century Massachusetts politicians