ARTEMUS WARD 1848-1925 PUBLISHER OF THE WILLIAM WARD GENEALOGY
2722. ARTEMUS WARD,7 born May 20, 1848, in New York City, married December 3, 1872, in Philadelphia, REBECCA DUNWOODY ROBINSON, born June 20, 1843, in Jenkintown, Pa. died January 4, 1921, in New York City, daughter of Jonathan John and Mary (Miles) Robinson.
Mr. Ward--the publisher of this Genealogy--was born at 870 Broadway, New York City, and (with the exception of a year's travel and residence in Europe) spent both childhood and youth in the metropolis. His first position was in 1863 with the New York State Soldiers Depot. Later, he moved to Philadelphia, entering the Cuban export and import business, and next founding and publishing the "Philadelphia Grocer." The distinction and individuality he gave to the paper attracted attention in the trade and brought from Enoch Morgan Sons' Company an offer of the position of advertising manager of "Sapolio." Both offer and acceptance were fortunate, for the result was to bring fame to Mr. Ward in the advertising and business worlds and to "Sapolio" everywhere.
Many are the stories that are told of the plans and measures by which he advanced the success of "Sapolio"--first as advertising manager, as already noted, and later as general manager of the company. Most famous was perhaps the voyage of Captain Andrews from Atlantic City to Palos, Spain, alone in little boat named "Sapolio," during the summer of 1892--the same summer which saw replicas of Columbus's caravels sail westward from Palos, the port that he had left four hundred years earlier. Captain Andrews's boat was however not nearly so seaworthy as any one of the boats on the caravels of Columbus--it was only a tiny portable collapsible craft, less than fifteen feet in length, He nevertheless made the voyage successfully and became a "nine days" hero in Spain, feted and honored by the government. The value of the world advertising accruing to "Sapolio" by the press reports and discussions of the exploit can hardly be overestimated.
In 1899, while still with Enoch Morgan Sons' Company, Mr. Ward obtained the lease of the advertising privileges on the Subway lines under the same management. The advertising lease carries with it merchandise rights, and that led Mr. Ward into the acquisition of chocolate and chewing-hum factories to meet the requirements of the station stands and slot-machines, and to the making of the slot-machines themselves.
He retired from Enoch Morgan Sons' Company in 1910 on the completion of a quarter of a century with the concern.
His faith in the steady growth of the city has resulted in his acquiring large interests in surrounding lands, his holdings amounting to about 5,000 acres, and this in turn has drawn him into dairying to an increasing extent until today his herds comprise more than 300 fine milch-cows.
All these and kindred interests are grouped in "Artemas Ward, Inc."
Mr. Ward's philanthropies have likewise been, and continue, many and varied, but in most cases he has avoided all publicity in connection with them.
Among his hobbies has been the study of foods. This culminated in 1923 in the Encyclopedia of Food, the most lavishly illustrated volume on the subject that has ever been produced, a standard reference work in libraries and the higher educational institutions.
His winter residence is at 6 East Seventy-eighth Street, New York City. His summer home is on Shelter Island, N.Y.
The Introduction to this volume tells of the strong interest that Mr. Ward has always felt in the Ward name and family, and briefly notes the more important of the various "Ward projects" which he has undertaken. These Ward projects are of intimate interest to descendants of William Ward of Sudbury, for every descendant is a spiritual sharer and copartner in the family history which they typify and memorialize.
