My Genealogy Hound

JOHN WOODWARD. A distinguished member of Jamestown’s legal fraternity is John Woodward, who is a son of Daniel and Cornelia (Lake) Woodward, and was born at Charlotte, this county, August 19, 1859. John Woodward carries the blood of two distinctively American families in his veins, both branches being citizens of this government when it saw its birth. John Woodward, the paternal grandfather, was the son of one who bore the same name, the latter served with credit in the war for independence, and at its close came from New England to the Empire State, and finally settled in Chautauqua county, where he died. He was comfortably fixed and reared a large family. His son, John, subject’s grandfather, was a prominent whig and secured the distinction of representing his district in the General Assembly of New York. He was a farmer by occupation and took for his wife, Sarah Eddy, who came from a well-to-do and respectable family. Six children blessed his household, two sons and four daughters, who attained maturity and reared families. The maternal grandfather, Calvin Lake, was an influential man, who came from Vermont to Chautauqua county and settled in the town of Charlotte about 1820. Following farming he made a comfortable income and marrying Margaret M. Ames, reared a family of children. His family were well educated and some of them of the present generation are prominent in politics. Daniel Woodward was born in Ellington, this county, in 1831, and died while yet a young man, in 1870. In 1853 he went to Michigan, and followed mercantile pursuits. In politics he was a republican. He married Cornelia Lake, who bore him six children: Nellie, dead; Charles D. resides in Kansas, but was formerly a coal operator in the Hocking Valley of Ohio; Mary died young; John; Florence is a popular teacher in the public schools of Herkimer county, this State; and Henry L. is a law student in the office of Grosvenor & Jones, at Athens, Ohio.

John Woodward married Mary E. Barker, a daughter of Hon. George Barker, and they have one daughter, Mary E.

John Woodward received his early education through the usual channels, and in 1878, when nineteen years of age, he graduated from the State Normal school, and began the study of law with Morris & Lambert, the well-known barristers of Fredonia. Shortly after he entered the law department of the New York City University, and graduated from it with honor in 1881, and coming to Fredonia began to practice. Seven months later he came to Jamestown and practiced in association with Walter L. Sessions, with whom he has since been connected. Politically he is a republican, and has served four terms as supervisor of the city of Jamestown, and has been the city attorney for two years. Although comparatively a young man, Mr. Woodward has made his mark and it is conceded that he stands in the front rank of his profession.