Dr. Samuel B. Ward
In Noted Living Albanians and State Officials
by D. A. Harsha, 1891
at FindaGrave
Paul Smith, D.W. Riddle, Dr. Samuel B. Ward, undated. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, April 25, 1987 Born: June 8, 1842
Died: June 4, 1915
Married: Nina A. Wheeler
Children: three, including Samuel Dwight Ward (1880-1947)
Dr. Samuel Baldwin Ward was the physician to and close friend of Grover Cleveland. From 1893 to 1912, he owned Markham Point on Upper Saranac Lake. He bought the Prospect House on Upper Saranac Lake in 1886. He was president of the Upper Saranac Lake Association. At Saranac Inn President Cleveland and Frances Folsom spent their honeymoon.
New York Times, June 4, 1915
DR. SAMUEL B. WARD DEAD
Ex-President of New York State Medical Society Was Almost 73.
Special to The New York Times.
ALBANY, N. Y., June 3.—Dr. Samuel Baldwin Ward died here today after a long illness. He was born in New York City on June 8, 1842, and was graduated from Columbia College in 1861. That year and the year following he attended a course of lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and in the second year of the civil war was appointed a medical cadet in the Union army. He was graduated from Georgetown University Medical Department in town University Medical Department in 1804 with the degree of A. M. Later Union University conferred the degree of Ph. D. in 1864.
After the war Dr. Ward spent a year in study in Europe and returning took up the practice of his profession in New York City. He was Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the Woman's Medical College of the New York Infirmary. In 1876 he was elected surgeon of the Seventh Regiment. In 1876 Dr. Ward came to Albany to continue the practice of his profession, which he continued up to several months ago. when he went to his home in Saranac Lake because of failing health.
He was a former President of the New York State Medical Society, had been for nearly forty years a member of the Faculty of the Albany Medical College, President of the Trustees of the Dudley Observatory, and a charter member of both the Fort Orange and Albany Camera Clubs. Dr. Ward's charities were many. His ancestry on both sides was English. His father was Lebbeus Baldwin Ward, a native of New York City.
Malone Farmer, June 9, 1915
Dr. Samuel B. Ward, one of Albany's leading physicians, for many years interested in Saranac Lake property, where he had a summer camp, died at his home in Albany Thursday afternoon, aged nearly 73 years. Dr. Ward's health began to fail about a year and a half ago and his death was not unexpected. He had given up all his activities, retired from practice and resigned from the faculty of the Albany Medical College, of which he was at one time dean. Since his retirement he had devoted all his time and attention to an effort to regain his health. He spent several months at Thomasville, Ga., and at his Saranac Inn camp, having returned home in a critical condition about two months ago. From the time of his return it was known that he could not live. He was afflicted with heart disease. Dr. Ward was the physician and close friend of Grover Cleveland and they were frequent companions on hunting and fishing trips in the Adirondacks. Dr. Ward was the hunter and ex-President Cleveland, the fisherman. Dr Ward was a man of much culture and a most delightful man to meet. He had an illustrious career. He is survived by his second wife and three children. Dr. Erastus Corning is his step-son.
In his A History of the Adirondacks, (v. 1, p. 318) Alfred L. Donaldson writes:
Mrs. Derby sold the Prospect House, in 1886, to Dr. Samuel B. Ward of Albany, and some other gentlemen, who incorporated as "The Upper Saranac Association." At the same time they secured control of the entire township surrounding the hotel—Township 20, Macomb's Purchase, Great Tract I. This contained 26,880 acres, and twenty-five years before had been lumbered over by C. F. Norton. During this time a merchantable second growth had matured, however, and the association dammed the outlet to Big Clear Pond, built a mill, and began to cut and saw logs for their own use and for sale. All their cutting was scientifically done, however, and they exercised every intelligent care for the conservation of the wood and game on their valuable preserve—which contains no less than fifty lakes, large and small.
They continued to run the hotel as a public house, but changed its name to "Saranac Inn." As such it has become one of the most popular and successful hotels in the mountains. It has been enlarged and improved, of course, but the original building has never been torn down.
Franklin Gazette, January 22, 1892
Dr. Webb Gets the State Land.
Last week the announcement was made from Albany that Dr. Samuel B. Ward, of that city, had secured from the State the title to 20,000 acres of Adirondack land in township No. 20, Franklin county, through which it was proposed to build the Adirondack & St. Lawrence railroad, and that Dr. Ward will at once sell so much of this land to Dr. Webb as is embraced in a strip one hundred feet wide which will be used as a road bed.
On May 29th last the State commissioners of the land office refused either to grant or to sell this land to Dr. Webb on the advice of Attorney-General Tabor that jurisdiction over these lands was vested in the legislature. When this decision was reached it was thought that a special act of the legislature would be necessary at the present session in order to get a title to the land and many friends of the road feared that such a law would be difficult to pass in the face of the opposition which New York city and rival railroad interests would be able to bring to bear. The necessity for such a law is now obviated, however, much to the satisfaction of the people of this section, for the assurance of Dr. Ward that the land will be sold to Dr. Webb removes the last obstacle in the path of the Adirondack & St. Lawrence railroad and insures us early completion in the spring. The history of this land transaction is as follows:
Dr. Samuel B. Ward, of Albany, acquired the original title to 20,000 acres in township 20 after the same had been sold for taxes at the State tax sales of 1881 and 1885, the State bidding in the land. Back in the years 1887-88, Dr. Ward had the sale of the lands for taxes set aside, on the grounds that the township was assessed as a whole instead of by lots; that the lands were all assessed as nonresident land, when, in fact, some of the land was resident, and such distinction should have been made in the assessment; and that the board of supervisors of Franklin county failed to extend the taxes on the assessment rolls of the town. These reasons for having the sale set aside were sustained by the comptroller and the sale of one-third of the township, the southeastern portion, was cancelled, and a clear title given to Dr. Ward on his payment of about $10,000 in back taxes. This is the portion in which is embraced the upper Saranac, on which stands the famous Saranac Inn.
A few months ago Comptroller Wemple was asked by Dr. Ward to cancel the sale of the remainder of the township, some 20,000 acres, on the same grounds that the former cancellation was based. This Comptroller Wemple did before the expiration of his term of office, December 31st last, and Dr. Ward paid the back taxes on the same, amounting to some $22,000. The land desired by Dr. Webb for his roadway comprises about four miles, one hundred feet wide, running through lots 4, 28, 27, 34, 39, 38 and 37, in all about 141 acres. Dr. Ward says he will sell Dr. Webb the land which he needs.
Dr. Ward is reported as saying that he believes the interests of the northern section of the State demand the construction of this railroad and that he will do all in his power to aid its construction. Before granting Dr. Ward's cancellation application, Comptroller Wemple sent word to the State forest commission, asking if they could see any objection to the granting of the application. The forest commission sent word back that, as no proofs in the matter were presented to them, they could see no objection if the application was regular. It is gratifying to state that Senator Hill was from the first in favor of the road and while in Malone in September so expressed himself publicly. It is understood that Comptroller Wemple granted tbe application of Dr. Ward mainly upon the recommendation of Senator Hill, then governor, and this fact will serve to strengthen the good opinion which Franklin county people formed of Senator Hill upon his late visit. His assistance in this matter was a graceful and timely recognition of the rights of all sections of the State to the benefits of growth and development.
