- WARDEN, Allen Francisco, a resident of Waukesha, and editor
and proprietor of the Dispatch
- of that city, is the son of Allen WARDEN, who was prominent
in the early history of Wisconsin. Allen WARDEN was born in Cayuga
county, N.Y. April 8th, 1821, and came to Wisconsin in 1842,
settling near Madison. Subsequently he lived at Wiota, Beloit
and Darlington, but removed to Lamar, Mo., in 1875. He was a
member of the second constitutional convention of Wisconsin,
being elected from Wiota, La Fayette county over W. S. HAMILTON,
a son of Alexander Hamilton. He was one of the signers of the
present state constitution, was a "War Democrat" during
the rebellion, was a presidential elector for Wisconsin in 1864
and 1868, was a candidate for congress on the Greeley ticket
in 1872 against J. Allen BARBER, in the old Third district, but
was defeated. He was the first mayor of Lamar, Mo., and was re-elected;
was county judge of Barton county, and held other public positions.
He died March 4th, 1897. An uncle of Allen WARDEN served with
Ethan Allen at the taking of Ticonderoga, and the nephew was
named Allen after the noted general. A. F. WARDEN's mother was
Lucinda MILLER prior to her marriage, the oldest daughter of
Jesse MILLER, one of the pioneers of Wiota, La Fayette county,
who came to the state in territorial days.
- A. F. WARDEN was born in Beloit, Wis., March 20th, 1852.
He attended public schools and a
- select school at Fayette, Wis., conducted by J. B. PARKINSON,
then a regent of the state university, and now a professor and
vice-president of that institution. Young WARDEN entered the
state university in 1868, and was graduated in June, 1873, with
the degree of bachelor of philosophy and was awarded the second
honor of his class. The fall after his graduation he went to
Plymouth, Sheboygan county, and took the principalship of the
city high school, which he held for two years. In July 1875,
he purchased The Plymouth Reporter, which he edited until
August 1890. He was elected superintendent of schools of Sheboygan
county in 1881, and re-elected in 1884. A half-interest in the
Reporter was purchased by H. W. HOSTMAN in 1884, and thenceforth
the paper was conducted under the firm name of WARDEN & HOSTMAN
until August, 1890, when Mr. WARDEN sold his interest to O. GRAFFRON,
and received the appointment of printing clerk under Secretary
of State T. J. CUNNINGHAM, which he held from 1891 to 1895. In
the later year he removed from Madison to Waukesha, having previously
purchased The Waukesha Dispatch, which he still owns,
edits and publishes.
- Mr. WARDEN was elected in 1890 to the state assembly from
the Second district of Sheboygan
- county, and served on the committees on state affairs and
education, the later recommending the passage of the bill repealing
the famous Bennett compulsory school law.
- He is a Royal Arch Mason, and Odd Fellow and a member of
the Royal Arcanum, of which he
- was Grand Regent in 1883-4, and representative to the Supreme
Council sessions at Buffalo, Philadelphia and Boston. He was
master of the Masonic lodge at Plymouth for two years. In religious
faith he is an Episcopalian, and is, at present, senior warden
of St. Matthias parish, Waukesha.
- Mr. WARDEN was married at Plymouth, Wis., May 17th, 1877,
to Miriam E. EASTMAN, third
- daughter of Hon. Enos EASTMAN. Mrs. WARDEN died at Plymouth,
June 9th, 1884, leaving a son, Reginald Allen, and a daughter,
Lillie Eastman. Mr. WARDEN was married a second time, May 29th,
1886, to Eva Fuller HANSON, fourth daughter of the late Dr. M.
P HANSON of Milwaukee.
- Mr. WARDEN cast his first presidential vote for Samuel J.
Tilden, and has always supported the
- principles of Democratic party, and voted for Bryan in the
presidential contest, of 1896.
-
- [Taken from "Men of Progress: Wisconsin" (c)1897
The Evening Wisconsin Company, Milwaulee, pp. 120-121]
Courtesy of Lori
|