Wadlow was born and raised in Alton, Illinois, a small city near St. Louis, Missouri.

[7] During his appearances, he dressed in his everyday clothes and refused the circus's request that he wear a top hat and tails.

[10][better source needed] Wadlow belonged to the Order of DeMolay, the Masonic-sponsored organization for young men, and was later a Freemason.

[1] On July 4, 1940, during a professional appearance at the Manistee National Forest Festival, a faulty brace irritated his ankle, leading to infection.

A life-size statue of Wadlow was erected opposite the Alton Museum of History and Art in 1986.