Court History – Judges – Clerks
In Papa Bear is a refurbished second floor courtroom, you will find gracing the walls the photographs and stories of the Judges that served Seneca County seated on the bench.
One of the early judges was George Franklin who served for fourteen years in the early 19th century. Judge Franklin was born in Hector, NY in 1819 just a few miles from Ovid. His colleagues the Honorable Gilbert Wilcoxen, Frederick L Manning and Charles A Hawley were quoted as saying “In his death the bar has sustained no common loss. Three times elected Judge and Surrogate of Seneca County he discharged important duties of the office with rare fidelity and ability. As a lawyer he won the admiration and regard of his brethren and clients as well. We recall the charm of his manner, the warmth of his heart and his unusual accomplishments in social life.”
Judges & Term
David Herron 1847-1853
James K. Richardson 1848 – 1851
John F. Seeley 1852 -1855
Sterling G. Hadley 1856 – 1859
George W. Franklin 1860-1863, 1868 – 1871, 1873 – 1878
Addison Know 1861-1862
Josiah T. Miller 1864 – 1867
Gilbert Wilcoxen 1872 – 1877
Peter H. Van Auken 1884 – 1889
William C. Hazelton 1862, 1868, 1880, 1889
Francis C. Allen 1886
John Richardson 1896 – 1907
Charles O. Townsend 1908 – 1913
George Bodine 1914 – 1925
Leon Church 1926 – 1943
Willard Huff 1944 – 1949
Seward Bodine 1950 – 1961
Jerome Wolff 1961 – 1974
Danie DePasquale 1975 – 1992
