WARDLAW, Hon. John M., b. 1870: 1905 Bio, San Miguel County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/sanmiguel/bios/wardlaw.txt --------------------------------------- Donated June 2004 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- Hon. John M. Wardlaw Popular as a citizen, esteemed in social circles, having a high rank in his profession, and looked upon as a progressive and broad-minded man, Hon. John M. Wardlaw, county judge of San Miguel county, has honestly won by his own merits and capacity the high position in which he stands among the people of his county and his professional brethren. He is a native of South Carolina, born on November 2, 1870, and a pioneer of 1889 in Colorado. His parents were Andrew C. and Mary F. (Smith) Wardlaw, like himself native in South Carolina, and there he lived until he reached the age of seventeen, being educated in the University of Anderson, at Anderson, South Carolina. He then sought a new home and the expansion of his fortunes in Wisconsin, and as a preliminary to his future efforts, entered a business college in that state where he followed a complete commercial course and in due time was graduated. After leaving this institution he took up his residence in Chicago, and was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company as an operator in that city. After two years passed in the service of the company there he was sent to Missouri in the same capacity; and from there he came to Pueblo, this state, where he continued in the same line. In 1891 he was transferred to Telluride as manager of the company's office in that city. In the meantime, during his wanderings he had been industriously occupied in the study of law, and in 1896 was admitted to the bar. In the fall of that year he was nominated by the Republicans as their candidate for county judge, but was defeated in the election. He resigned his position with the telegraph company and devoted himself to the practice of his profession; and in 1898 he was again nominated for county judge and was elected. At the expiration of his term in 1901 he was re-elected, having discharged his official duties in a manner eminently satisfactory to all classes of people. In the interim between his admission to the bar and his first election to the judgeship he was also engaged in newspaper work, and is now the owner and editor of the San Miguel Examiner, one of the progressive and wide-awake journals of southwestern Colorado. In fraternal relations the Judge is connected with the Masonic fraternity, and in its progress and beneficent work he takes an active interest. He was married at Telluride in 1893 to Miss Minnie Behm, a native of Chicago. In all the elements of the progress and improvement of the section in which he has cast his lot the Judge is deeply and intellectually interested; and he approaches all public questions with a broad and catholic spirit that is in harmony with the genius of American institutions. Young in years and in professional and official life, vigorous in mind and body, and with all his aspirations in touch with the loftiest ideals and the best attributes of American citizenship and the spirit of the age, he would seem to have a long and useful career before him. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.