Arthur Holmes Applegate was born on January 2, 1919 in Deansboro. He was the only son of Robert Dewain Applegate, a contractor, and Julia Alnetta (Calhoun) Applegate. Art had two sisters who were older. His sisters were both born in Brookfield NY. Mandana (Applegate) Chesebro was born on May 7, 1900. Kathryn (Applegate) Stockbridge was born on July 7,1907 and graduated from Clinton High School. The Applegate family moved to 16 John Street, in Ilion, sometime after 1925. Arthur followed many musical pursuits while in high school. He was one of eight Ilion High School students that were selected to play in the All State Band and All State Orchestra. He played the violin in the state orchestra. He was an accomplished organist, pianist and he loved to sing. He graduated from Ilion High School in 1936.

Arthur Applegate entered Hamilton College after graduation from high school. While at Hamilton, he was part of the group of college students who left for France in 1939 to study French for a year. By September 1939, the students returned to the United States due to the unsettled conditions in Europe. Art resumed his studies at Hamilton and earned a bachelor's degree, in French, in 1941. Shortly after graduation, he entered Harvard Business School. That course of study was prematurely terminated when he enlisted in the United States Army. He was assigned to the 69th Infantry Division. Because of his fluency in French and German, he was chosen to serve with the Central Intelligence Corps in Europe. He was awarded two bronze stars and was honorably discharged at the end of World War II.

Following the war and using the GI Bill, he re-enrolled at Hamilton College as a pre-med student. He gained admittance to the University of Rochester School of Medicine where he earned his medical degree in 1951. Dr. Applegate served an internship at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., and then returned to Rochester, N.Y., where he completed his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital. While enrolled in medical school, he married Betty Jane Weeden, in Frankfort, New York, on June 25, 1949.

 

In July of 1954, Dr. Arthur H. Applegate, joined with his brother-in-law, G. Roger Weeden and opened a medical practice at 14 Otsego Street in Mohawk, NY. They were unanimously accepted on the Staff of the Ilion Hospital. Dr. Weeden was the brother of Betty Jane (Weeden) Applegate, wife of Arthur. At that time, the Applegates had two sons and were making their home at 37 West Main Street, Mohawk. Dr. and Mrs. Weeden, the former Ethalynd Burke, IHS 1940, had three children and made their home at 16 John Street, Ilion.

 

Dr. Arthur Applegate Family Home - 320 Otsego Street, Ilion NY
Stephen, Mary and Robert Applegate

 

In 1960, Dr. Arthur Applegate, president, Ilion Hospital Staff, sent a letter to The German Flatts Town Council requesting the Town Council to consider a new hospital to house 100 to 110 beds. His letter stated that the community was under staffed and that the present staff was attempting to attract new doctors to the area. "At least three to five will be needed in the next three to five years," he said. He also informed the council a population increase can be expected in the community. "We already need more school room space in spite of the recent erection of new schools in Frankfort and Ilion," he added.

 

In the late 1950s, the Applegate family moved to their home at 320 Otsego Street in Ilion. Dr. Arthur Applegate sought election to a five-year term on the Ilion School Board in 1964. He had been appointed to fill out the portion of the unexpired term of Douglas E. Miller, a former Remington Arms Company manager, in November 1963, when Miller moved to Pennsylvania. Dr. Applegate, was re-elected by defeating Eugene Walsh, 299 Barringer Road, 327 to 150. Dr. Applegate would serve on the School Board during the critical period of rebuilding the high school after the 1963 fire and building the new Barringer Road Elementary School in 1966.

Dr. Arthur Applegate - School Board Member - 1964 Yearbook

Dr. Applegate was appointed school physician for the Mohawk School District in July of 1954. He also served as the School Physician for Ilion School district from July 1967 until August 1983.

 

Class of 1967 AFS Student - Maryke Yvonne Geutskens

Founded in 1915, American Field Service began as a volunteer ambulance corps, serving in World Wars I and II. Following the peace in 1947, the group initiated the student exchange program. Each year 2,800 AFS chapters, working with the cooperation of their local schools, brought over 3,100 students to U.S. schools Through the efforts of Leo J. Sammon, principal of Ilion High School, an adult chapter was formed in Ilion in 1960. Mrs. Arthur Applegate was president of the local chapter.

At that time, Ilion's exchange students had been Christina Rosen, Sweden (1961); Gisela Shroeder, Germany (1962-1963); Jennifer Kitchner, New Zealand (1964), Hashim Makkawi, Saudi Arabia (1964-1965); Marijke Geutskens Netherlands (1966-1967). Later years would include Eduardo Roche, Brazil (1968-1969), and Abdul Ghafar Mahmudzada, Afghanistan (1970-1971).

In the summer of 1969, Steve Applegate, spent the summer as Ilion's AFS student in South Africa.

The Herkimer Evening Telegram - September 10, 1969

SOUVENIRS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Souvenirs from South Africa are shown by Steve Applegate, center, summer foreign exchange student, who returned home last weekend. Son of Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Applegate, 320 Otsego St., Ilion. Steve shows a blazer he wore, with straw hat, as his uniform at a South Africa School. Also in the photo are his brother, Robert, 16, with a straw Basutu hat, and his sister, Mary, 12, who was presented a pair of springbok slippers.

 

1965 - New Office Building - London Bridge Medical Building

In November 1964, Dr. G. Roger Weeden submitted the sole bid, for $3,000, for Village owned park land on West Main St. park for a medical building. It was stipulated that, in the sale of this strip of land, the purchaser must construct a medical office building within two years. The land was able to be sold without public referendum, as a result of state legislation passed in March 1964, which gave the village permission to sell about seven acres. Prior to that date, it had been restricted to park use. The land, 250 by 130 feet, is located between London Bridge (in the vicinity of the then Mohawk Valley General Hospital), west to Barringer Road. West State Street, from London Bridge to the Barringer Road extension, was abandoned and that portion abutting the land was included in the property for sale. The land, formerly part of the old Erie Canal, was purchased from the state.

The Herkimer Evening Telegram - July 25, 1965

Construction was underway by the summer of 1965. C. Scialdo & Sons, of Herkimer were the contractors on the project at 284 West Main Street. Arthur & Eggett, Hamilton, NY, architects designed the building. The cost to construct the building was about $35,000. The Medical Office building officially opened for service in February 1966. The land was once the site of the London Bridge over the old Erie Canal, thus Dr. Weeden decided to name it the London Bridge Medical Center.

The building contained 14 rooms in its one-story building and basement. It included doctors' suites, a surgical suite, laboratory, bookkeeping offices and reception rooms. Dr. Weeden and Dr. Arthur H. Applegate were head the staff of eight. The staff besides the doctors were two registered nurses, Mrs. Janel Smithson and Mrs. Grace Hartigan; two receptionists, Mrs. Ruth Horan and Emily Warner; a bookkeeper, Mrs. Edith Byrnes, and a bookkeeper - secretary, Mrs. Constance Morgan.

In October 1967, Dr. Roger Weeden and Dr. Arthur Applegate, planned to purchase land that was west and adjacent to their new medical building on West Main Street. They said the extra land would be used for parking space for 16 cars. The extra spaces would be for the patients of two dentists who planned to locate in the building. The dentists were finishing school and were identified as Drs. Anthony Angelichio and John Wiskup. They planned to occupy the building by next July. Dr. Weeden said renovation of their offices would start around Christmas, if the proposal was approved by the Village board. Later, the proposal was withdrawn by the doctors.

Dr. Luningning M. Aldaba of Quezon City, Philippine Islands joined the medical practice in December 1970. K. Vadlamudi M.D. and Charles Brown, M.D. joined London Bridge Medical Building practice in Ilion in 1973.

The London Bridge Medical Building was put up for sale, in 1984, when Dr. Weeden and Dr. Applegate retired.

 

Arthur Holmes Applegate 1919 - 2009

Arthur H. Applegate, M.D., IHS 1936, a long-time resident of Ilion, New York, died November 21, 2009, in Granville, Ohio. He was born January 2, 1919, in Deansboro, N.Y., the son of Robert D. and Julia Alnetta Calhoun Applegate. Dr. Applegate was a graduate of Ilion High School class of 1936, and earned his bachelor's degree in French from Hamilton College, where he was a member of the Class of 1941. Shortly after graduation from college, and following a short stint at Harvard Business School, he enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the 69th Infantry Div. Because of his fluency in French and German, he was chosen to serve with the Central Intelligence Corps in Europe, and was awarded two bronze stars. He was honorably discharged at the end of World War II.

Following the war and using the GI Bill, he re-enrolled at Hamilton College as a pre-med student. He gained admittance to the University of Rochester School of Medicine where he earned his medical degree in 1951. Dr. Applegate served an internship at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., and then returned to Rochester, N.Y., where he completed his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital. While enrolled in medical school, he married Betty Jane Weeden, in Frankfort, New York, on June 25, 1949. They enjoyed a loving relationship of 55 years, until her death in 2004.

In 1954, Dr. Applegate returned to the Mohawk Valley where he established a medical practice with his brother-in-law, G. Roger Weeden Jr., M.D., on S. Otsego St. in Mohawk. He continued his medical practice at the London Bridge Medical Office in Ilion, until his retirement on February 1, 1984. He was on the staff of Mohawk Valley General Hospital. Dr. Applegate thoroughly enjoyed the challenges of practicing medicine, the many people he worked with over the years, and his patients.

In addition to his practice, Dr. Applegate was involved in his community and in a number of organizations. He was a member of the Ilion School Board, a member and past president of the Central N.Y. Academy of Medicine, a member and vestryman of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, a member and past president of the Ilion Conversation Club, and a member of the Ilion Water Board. Dr. Applegate was a man of varied interests. He was an accomplished organist and pianist, and loved to sing. He had a passion for other places and cultures and he and his wife, Betty, traveled extensively. He loved to read and enjoyed gardening, basket weaving and did beautiful needlepoint. Despite the fact that Dr. Applegate never learned to swim, he loved the fact that his backyard swimming pool was the favorite summer destination for his grandchildren. He was devoted to his family.

Dr. Applegate is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, the Rev. Stephen and Terry Applegate of Granville, Ohio, and Robert and Kathleen Applegate of West Winfield; a daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Brady Boyd of Ilion; ten grandchildren, Elizabeth Applegate, Peter Glenn-Applegate, Katie and Benjamin Applegate, William, Thomas, and Maggie Applegate, and Andrew, Philip, and Matthew Boyd; and several nieces and nephews. Two sisters, Mandana Chesebro and Kathryn Stockbridge, predeceased him. He will be remembered as extremely intelligent, exceedingly generous, and the true leader of our family. A Memorial Service for Dr. Applegate will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church on Second St. in Ilion, with the Rev. Stephen H. Applegate officiating. Interment will be in the Kinne Cemetery, Town of Litchfield. Friends are asked to consider memorials to the Ilion Free Public Library or a charity of one's choice. Local arrangements are entrusted to Dr. Applegate's cousin, Don Applegate, Funeral Director. See Hamilton College - Necrology Arthur Holmes Applegate