He was the son of Major General Elijah Wadsworth and his wife Rhoda Hopkins.
In October 1802 he moved to the new family home in Canfield, Ohio where he grew to adulthood.
Frederick Wadsworth's House, built 1824, located in Edinburg Township, Ohio is on the National Register of Historic Places (May 29, 1975 #75001520).
Frederick was a proprietor and partner of Stoddard & Wadsworth Co. a wool carding works in 1825.
He formed a partnership with several investors, including Simon Perkins and Eleazer Sackett, which led to the creation of the Portage Canal & Manufacturing Co. on February 27, 1837.