Ward Family papers

Dr. Levi Ward, Jr. was born in Guilford, New Haven County, Connecticut on July 29, 1771. He studied at Yale College and received his M.D. under Dr. Jonathan Todd. His wife was Mehitable Hand. After 17 years of practicing medicine in Haddam, Connecticut, Dr. Ward joined his father and John Ward in moving to the Genesee Country, settling near Bergen and continuing to practice medicine as the only doctor in the ragion. In 1808, he became the agent of the State of Connecticut in the sale of land owned by said state in Western New York. In 1810, he became agent for the sale of the 100,000 acre "Connecticut tract." He also established the first mail route in the region and helped organize the militia during the War of 1812. In 1817, Dr. Ward moved to the village of Rochesterville. There, he promoted and served as first President of the Rochester Savings Bank; was president, too, of the Rochester Bank; and President of the Board of Monroe High School. He also helped to found the Athenaeum. A large landowner, Dr. Ward established his family in the area of Rochester known as "The Grove," and a number of streets in Rochester are named for his family. After a long life, Dr. Ward passed away on January 4, 1861.

Levi and Mehitable Ward had 11 children. Papers from two of them are present in this collection. Levi Alfred Ward was born on January 31, 1801, in Haddam, Connecticut. He came to the Genesee Country with his parents, and started a mercantile business with his elder brother William at a young age. Soon, however, he joined his father in managing the sale of land for the State of Connecticut. He also entered the insurance business, representing New York Life Insurance and establishing an agency that would underpin his entire career. Still at an early age, he became secretary of the Monroe County Mutual Insurance Company, a position he held for 30 years. Over his lifetime, he also was a director of the Rochester City Bank, a director of the Bank of Orleans, and a trustee of the Monroe County Savings Bank. He also helped found the Rochester Gas Company, and served many years as its president. He also served as a director of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad, a director of the Rochester High School, and a manager of the Western House of Refuge. He also built the great house known as "Grove Place," where he lived with his wives Harriet Barton Ward (1828-1830) and Harriet A. Kemp Ward (1834 onward) and their 10 children. Levi A. Ward passed away at Grove Place on August 6, 1881.

The Reverend Dr. Ferdinand DeWilton Ward was born July 9, 1812, in Bergen, New York. He studied at Union College and Princeton Theological Seminary before serving as a missionary in southern India from 1836 to 1846. A pioneer missionary in this region, his books on India and the Tamil language were well-known in the 19th century. His wife, Jane Shaw Ward, founded the first female boarding school in Madras. After returning to his homeland, he served as pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church in Geneseo, New York from 1848 to 1868. During the Civil War, he served as chaplain of the 104th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Reverend Ward was honored for his work with an honorary doctorate by Washington and Jefferson College, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa at his alma mater. He also served as a member of the American Oriental Society. He passed away on August 11, 1891, and was buried in Geneseo.

Mary Elizabeth Ward was born to Levi A. and Harriet A. Kemp Ward on March 11, 1840. She never married, and lived at 8 Grove Place for much of her life. Mary followed her family tradition by being heavily involved in the Presbyterian Church, and founded the Rochester branch of the Women's National Sabbath Alliance in 1901. She passed away on May 6, 1914.