"(December 21, 1832 -- November 4, 1906) John Henry Ketcham was a farmer, commissioner, supervisor, public servant, soldier, general, and American politician. Ketcham was born in Dover Plains, Dutchess County, New York. Ketcham was a supervisor in 1854 and 1855. He was a member of the state assembly (1856 and 1857), State senator (1860 and 1861), and delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876 and 1896. Ketcham was the commissioner of the District of Columbia from July 3, 1874 until he resigned in June 30, 1877. John entered the Union Army as colonel of the 150th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry (October 11, 1862) was brevetted brigadier general (December 6, 1864), was brigadier general April 1, 1865, and was brevetted major general of Volunteers March 13, 1865. He was elected as a Republican to the 39th, 40th, 41st, and 42nd, (March 4, 1865 - March 3, 1873) where he served as Chairman on the Committee on Public Lands (42nd Congress). He was unsuccessful in the election of 1872. He was elected as a Republican to the 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st, and 52nd Congresses (March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1893), where he declined to be a candidate for renomination. He was elected as a Republican to the 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th, and 59th Congresses, where he served as a chairman on the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of States (57th - 59th Congresses). John served from March 4, 1897 to his death November 4, 1906. [Source: 'Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 - Present', available at https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=K000152]"