Wadsworth was born on May 6, 1847, in East Livermore, Maine, and spent on his childhood on the family farm.

In 1873, he was elected Professor of Chemistry at Boston Dental College and he enrolled at Harvard University for graduate studies.

Wadsworth received a Master of Arts in 1874 from Harvard, and over the summer of 1874, he worked on a geological survey of New Hampshire.

[2][3] In 1885, Wadsworth was elected Professor of Mineralogy and Geology at Colby University which he held for two years.

In 1893, Wadsworth became aware of these intentions, and offered to resign from the Michigan Mining School if he were given a raise to $4000 per year.