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WAYNE COUNTY, NEW YORK
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MISCELLANEOUS BIOGRAPHIES

  HON. WILLIAM H. ADAMSHon William H. Adams, presiding justice of the appellate division of the fourth department, is one of a family of seven children born to John and Rebecca (Hamilton) Adams.  The father was a merchant.
     Judge Adams was born in Lyons, Wayne county, March 27, 1841.  His early education was obtained at the union school in that village, and subsequently he attended Walnut Hill school in Geneva.  In 1859 he entered the law office of Smith & Lapham, in Canandaigua, and continued his studies with that firm until 1861, when, laying aside for a time all personal ambition, he responded to the call of his country and aided in recruiting a company of volunteers, of which he was made lieutenant, and after the peninsular campaign became captain, and later served as brigade adjutant-general in General Hunter's campaign in South Carolina.  After bearing an honorable part in many of the active contests of the war he returned to Canandaigua and industriously resumed his preparation for the bar. In 1865 he married Miss Charlotte L. Lapham, a daughter of the Hon. E. G. Lapham, junior member of the law firm with which he studied, with whom he soon afterward formed a partnership, which continued down to the time of the election of Mr. Lapham to the United States senate.  He continued the practice of his profession in Canandaigua until the close of the year 1887, and at the beginning of the next year was elected to the bench of the supreme court in the seventh judicial district.
     Upon the organization of the appellate division, in January, 1896, which under the present constitution took the place of what was formerly the general term. Justice Adams was selected by Governor Norton to sit upon the bench of the fourth judicial department, presided over by the late George L. Hardin, LL. D.  So satisfactory has been the service of Justice Adams that he was the unanimous choice of his associates and of the bar of this department for the presiding justiceship of the court of which he is a member, upon the retirement of his honored chief.  He assumed the duties of presiding justice on the 1st of January, 1900, under commission signed by Governor Roosevelt.  Hobart College honored herself by conferring upon Justice Adams the degree of Doctor of Laws in June, 1899.  Justice Adams was unanimously renominated for supreme court justice by the Republican convention of the seventh judicial district, this occurring October 1, 1901, and also by the Democratic convention held at Rochester on the day following.
Source:  The Biographical Record of the City of Rochester and Monroe County, New York - Illustrated - Publ. New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1902 - Pg. 162
  ROBERT FOERST CLARK
Self-Written Biography of ROBERT FOERST CLARK, Great Great Great Grandson of Caleb Clark, Great-Great Grandson of Angus Clark, Great Grandson of Shepherd Clark, Grandson of pearl Leon Clark, Son of Harold Clark
    
Born in Rochester, New York, March 14th, 1927.  He attended elementary schools in Rochester, New York and East High school in Rochester, New York where he was captain of the swimming team and graduated in 1944 after which time he enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of seventeen.
     He was in the Navy for approximately two yeas serving on the CVE Badoeng Strait aircraft carrier and attained the rank of Gunner's Mate Petty Officer Third Class.  He was discharged while still a nineteen year old teenager and returned to Rochester, New York.
     He attended the University of Rochester where he completed the first year of Chemical Engineering attaining a Deans List academic standing.  He then transferred to Cornell University in the College of Architectures five year course and graduated in four years attaining a continuous upper top of the class academic standing.  At Cornell he was accepted into the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and became honorary Vice President, rowed on the Cornell Men's Heavyweight Crew earning a letter every year and a varsity letter in his senior year rowing the four seat and was selected to join the Quill and Dagger senior men's honor society limited to only approximately twenty senior class members.  After graduation he was employed by Beardsley and Beardsley Architects in Auburn, New York as an apprentice preparing for licensing examinations. 
     He moved back to Rochester and married Joyce Marie Rapp from Cincinnati, Ohio and completed his apprenticeship and passing the examination to become a licensed Architect in New York State and then received an NCARB national license.  He then became a minor partner in a firm called Bishop and Clark, Architects and in 1964 he decided it was time to move on and opened his own firm in his home town of Webster, New York known as Robert F. Clark and Associates Architects before retiring in 1990.  His practice was  very successful with many local, national and international clients.
     In the interim period he acquired an island home directly on the sea in the Netherlands Antilles where he spent approximately one third of his time with his wife and two daughters for forty years being a free diver, Scuba diver, spear fisherman, wind surfer and underwater photographer.
     After his daughters no longer needed parental care he decided to take up rowing again on the Masters circuit having missed a great chance at the Olympics while in college, but this time in a single scull and not an eight man crew that was his only experience.  The change was a complete shock, very difficult to learn and he always considered himself a novice compared to his competitors with many more years of experience.  Consequently after five years of agonizing learning and training he decided to compete and row in his class unfortunately with many former Olympic, national and international champions and hoping to just not to come in last!  Much to his amazement, he ended up undefeated his first year of competition and a Canadian national coach said he had a good chance to win on the European World championship circuit and consequently he closed his Architectural practice went to Europe for four months of competition and ending up winning a single sculls gold medal at the world championships in Strathclyde, Scotland and then went on to become a member of the so-called Golden Eight which was called the USA composite Eight and ultimately rowing in USA four plus, four minus and quad boats with much success in all these categories.  The rest of history as documented in the Cornell University article included herewith. 
     He competed until the age of seventy-three and finally realized that his top gun status days had long passed.  His beautiful wife passed away, he then sold his homestead house and property in Webster, moved to a small new retirement community single private home in Walworth, New York where he spent his remaining years and passed away at the age of 20?? 

Source:   From the pen of Robert Foerst Clark as written for Sharon Wick's Genealogy Express
NOTE:  An see article in the Cornell Chronicle at http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/12/bob-clark-51-bequeaths-3m-heavyweight-rowing

J. H. Ketcham


Mrs. Lucy A. Ketcham

JOSEPH H. KETCHAM.  Though at present Having a retired life in West Webster, Mr. Ketcham has been intimately connected with the agricultural interests of Monroe county for many years, and has been one of its broadest minded and most progressive promoters.  He was born in Pittstown, Rensselaer county, New York, September 9, 1820, a son of Joseph and Alida (Van Ness) Ketcham, the former of whom was born August 12, 1777, and died June 4, 1850, while the latter was born November 26, 1784, and died September 13, 1828.  The parents were married July 3, 1802, and the death of the mother occurred when her son, Joseph H., was yet a child.
     Joseph
Ketcham was a prosperous man and made the most of his opportunities, which lay for the greater part in the country districts, where he farmed in a scientific and successful manner.  After the death of his wife he removed to the town of Macedon, Wayne county, New York, near the city of Palmyra, where he bought a farm of over three hundred acres, the fertile fields of which he tilled with success.  He was devoted to his thirteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity, and he never remarried. 
     Although he might have done so, Joseph H. Ketcham received but a limited education in his youth, his inclination being rather in the direction of work than study.  When grown to manhood he came to Monroe county and worked by the month for his brother, and subsequently entered into a partnership which gave him a share in the crops.  On October 24, 1844, he was married in the town of Webster to Lucy M Smith, who was born in Webster November 12, 1827, a daughter of Nelson M. and Sally Ann ( Cook) Smith.  The Cook family were pioneers of Monroe county, and came from New Jersey, while the Smith family came from Connecticut at a somewhat later day   When the maternal grandfather, Ebenezer Cook, came to Monroe county he kept hotel or inn in a double log house, and had a blacksmith shop on the land which he ha cleared for a farm.  He was a Whig an an ardent supporter of his party, and serve as justice of the peace for several years.  He also served with distinction in the war of 1812, and in consequence thereof drew government pension.
     After his marriage Mr. Ketcham made his home on the Smith farm, and later r moved to the farm of his wife's grandfather Ebenezer Cook, and then worked both farm with considerable success.  He subsequent bought sixty acres of land in the town Webster and after living on it. a year sold it to his father, and bought ninety acres more, which was soon afterward disposed of at a profit.  He then took up his residence in the town of Pevington, whither his father had removed, and at the end of three years settled on the Cook farm and lived there thirteen years.  He and wife looked after the old folks, and were fortunate in having- good crops, and doing well from an all around standpoint.  Their next place of residence was the farm upon which they now live, and which in time came into the possession of Mrs. Ketcham through inheritance.  Under the management of Mr. Ketcham many fine improvements have been made, and they live in a modern house, erected at a cost of three thousand dollars.  The farm has been disposed of for the greater part, and Mr. Ketcham has comparatively few cares to disturb the tranquility of his latter days. 
     He was formerly a Whig, but is now a Republican, and has served as assessor for fourteen years.  He was elected justice of the peace, but declined to avail himself of the honor conferred by the office.  He is a man of broad sympathies, and the many years that have passed over his head have not divested him of the delights of living, or impaired the faculties which have brought success and many friendships.
Source:  The Biographical Record of the City of Rochester and Monroe County, New York - Illustrated - Publ. New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1902 - Pg. 174
  W. A. SMITH.  The meat market owned and managed by W. A. Smith is one of the busiest places in the progressive and wide-awake town of Webster.  The genial proprietor caters to a large following, and has risen to his present prosperity from a comparatively small beginning.  In his youth he received the training accorded the average farmer boy in New York state, and until his twelfth year lived on the paternal homestead in Williamson township, Wayne county, where he was born February 2, 1861.  The family fortunes were then changed to Monroe county, and from that time on he began to be financially independent, and worked out on various farms by the month.  At the age of twenty years Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Ida De Line, who was born in Cayuga county, New York, and after this continued to work out by the month until 1888.  His method of livelihood was then changed into commercial channels, and he engaged in clerking in the general merchandise store of Mr. Hawley in Webster.  So efficient did he prove and so faithful to the best interests of his employer that his services were gladly retained for about seven years.  Mr. Smith then embarked upon an independent venture in the hardware business, and for two years realized to a large extent his expectations, but not satisfied with this line of activity as a permanent business he started in the meat business which has proved such a great success.  He owns the building in which he conducts his market, a portion of which is used for a residence, and he also has other interests of value in the town. 
     Mr
. Smith is an expert in his line, and few have a more liberal knowledge of the desirable portions of the viands which are handed over his counters, and few have a more sincere desire to please their large and appreciative trade. Added to an unfailing courtesy, Mr. Smith possesses an unswerving integrity, and allows nothing but honest dealing in his shop.  He is a Democrat in national politics, but has no time or inclination for office holding.  Fraternally he is associated with Webster Lodge, No. 538, F. & A. M.

Source:  The Biographical Record of the City of Rochester and Monroe County, New York - Illustrated - Publ. New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1902 - Pg. 395

  ELLERA J. WHITTLETON, M. D.  The physical woes of that part of the population of Webster which appreciates the efficacy of homeopathic treatment are admirably adjusted by Dr. E. J. Whittleton, one of the most capable of the disciples of Hahnemann in Monroe county.
     The youth of Dr. Whittleton was uneventfully passed on his father's farm in Walworth, Wayne county, New York, where he was born June 7, 1859.  While attending the district schools of the county he received a practical home training, and was reared to an appreciation of the dignity and utility of an agricultural life, for his parents, James and Melissa (Potter) Whittleton, were successful farmers during their years of activity.  When about sixteen yeas of age he entered the Walworth Academy for a couple of years, when, having qualified for teaching, eh was thus employed during the winter terms, and continued his studies during the spring and fall terms.  At the same time, in order to make both ends meet while receiving a higher education, he worked for Mrs. Dr. Gardner, receiving as compensation his room and board.   At the same time, in order to make both ends meet while receiving a higher education, he worked for Mrs. Dr. Gardner, receiving as compensation his room and board.  
     At the age of twenty-one years he began to read medicine under Dr. T. J. Peer, of Ontario, Wayne county, New York, and at the end of a year entered the Homeopathic Hospital College at Cleveland, Ohio, from which he was graduated in the class of 1884.
     After his graduation Dr. Whittleton located in Sodus, Wayne county, New York, and engaged in practice, and eventually brought out Dr. D. McPherson, and became identified with the most advanced professional undertakings of Wayne county.  In the meantime he had married, in 1882, Miss Mary G. Hall, a native of Hamlin, New York, and a daughter of Orlando and Mary (Chapman) Hall.  From the first he received an appreciative patronage from his adopted city, and was a successful and popular practitioner for nearly thirteen years.  His fortunes were thrown into unexpected channels through the financial difficulties of his father-in-law, to aid whom he sold out his lucrative practice, and went to live on the Hall farm.  During the following two years Mr. Hall died, and after placing the property in good condition, the Doctor sold it and took up his residence in Webster.  While living in Sodus, two children were born to Dr. and Mrs. W'hittleton, Arthur J, and Clifford E
     As one who understands and applies the best principles of his great profession, Dr. Whittleton has made himself an integral part of the life of Webster, and his practice is by no means wholly local.  He is a member of the Monroe County Homeopathic Society, the State Society and the Western New York Society, and he has prepared and read papers on the advance in medicine and surgery before these investigating organizations.  He is interested in the general upbuilding of the city, and has taken an active part in local political undertakings wherever he has resided.  For two years he served as coroner in Wayne county, and there and here he has been a delegate to various county and state conventions.  As a stanch friend and appreciator of education he has exerted his influence toward perfecting an ideal system in Webster, and is at present a member of the school board. Fraternally Dr. Whittleton is a member of the Webster Grange and the Ridge Road Lodge, No. 425, Ancient Order United Workmen, of which latter organization he is a charter member and ex-physician.  In Sodus he became associated with the Independent Order Odd Fellows, where he passed a number of the chairs, and has since advanced to the office of Past Grand in Webster, where he is a member of Lodge No. 742.
Source:  The Biographical Record of the City of Rochester and Monroe County, New York - Illustrated - Publ. New York and Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1902 - Pg. 321
   
   
   
   

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