An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893

JOHN WILBUR DODGE, ex-Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce at Seattle, was born
at Waterloo, now Burtin, Wisconsin, July 29, 1856. His father, Jeremiah E.
Dodge, was a native of New York, descended from Puritan stock, who emigrated
from England to New England soon after the Pilgrim settlement. The ancestors of
Mr. Dodge have chiefly followed the medical and legal professions, and following
the same line Jeremiah E. secured an academic education, then entered the
Harvard law school, which was directed by Chief Justice Story as professor of
law. After graduating in 1831 Mr. Dodge went to Tecumseh, Michigan, and was
appointed Postmaster, that being the distributing point for mails of the entire
Northwest, of which at that time little was known beyond Minnesota and
Wisconsin. With the breaking out of the Black Hawk war Mr. Dodge raised a
company of men and went to the front, where he was engaged through the conflict.
After peace was declared he and his friend, Daniel B. Burt, went, in 1833, to
Wisconsin, and, locating in Grant county, founded the town of Waterloo, and
built one of the first flour and grist mills in Wisconsin. Mr. Burt attended to
the mill, while Mr. Dodge followed the practice of law. After the death of Mr.
Burt the name of the town was changed to Burtin, thus commemorating the honored
name. Mr. Dodge was married, in Waterloo, to Miss Matilda Ashley, a native of
New Hampshire, also of Puritan ancestry. Mr. Dodge was the first
Adjutant-General of the Territory of Wisconsin. He served several terms in the
Legislature, was a member of the Historical Society and a man of prominence in
all general affairs. In 1861 he removed his family to Lancaster, Grant county,
for the higher education of his children, and, retiring from practice, purchased
a little farm, and there passed the remaining years of his life. John W., the
subject of this sketch, secured an academic education in the schools of
Lancaster, graduating in 1815. During the winter following he was engrossing
clerk of  the Senate of Wisconsin. He then went to Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, to
visit relatives, and while there was induced to accept a clerical position in
the office of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and thus becoming interested in
railroad matters he decided to learn the business, and to begin at the foot of
the ladder. He gave up his position, entered the freight-house, and with a
hand-truck began shifting goods, gradually ascending the scale through the
offices of assistant freight agent, freight agent, ticket agent and general
freight department. In 1880 Mr. Dodge accepted the position of clerk to the
division superintendent of the Illinois Central Railroad, with headquarters at
Centralia, Illinois. Removing in 1881 to Cairo, in 1882 he was made assistant
agent in charge of that station, the third in importance on the entire system.
In 1883 he was appointed traveling agent, with entire charge of the station,
which was a prominent transfer point, connecting with four other roads. In this
work he employed a force of 150 men, the position being one of great
responsibility. In 1887 he was promoted to the position of chief clerk to the
general superintendent, with headquarters at Chicago, and there remained until
1891, when, upon the organization of the Chamber of Commerce of Seattle, Mr.
Dodge was offered the position of secretary, and to enter upon the duties of
that office he arrived in Seattle in April of the same year. He gave his entire
time and attention to the upbuildmg of that organization, whose influence has
already been felt in commercial and municipal affairs. Mr. Dodge resigned his
position as Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce April 15, 1893, to engage in
the hotel business at Seattle, having effected a long-time lease of the Hotel
Northern, one of the leading and most popular hostelries in the city. The house
is most conveniently located, affording ready access to the principal business
portions of  the city, being located on Front street, between Washington street
and Yesler avenue. Mr. Dodge was married, at Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, in 1879,
to Miss Mary E. McMullen, of the same city. To them six children have been born:
Marguerite, Mary, Roccy, Elizabeth, Jeremiah E. and John Wilbur, Jr. Mr. Dodge
has built a handsome home on Queen Anne hill, and is thoroughly interested in
advancing the prosperity of Seattle.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.