Joseph Henry Ramsey (January 29, 1816 – May 12, 1894) was an American lawyer, railroad executive and politician from New York.
Life
Joseph H. Ramsey was born in Sharon, New York on January 29, 1816, the son of Rev. Frederick Ramsey (1790–1879) and Sarah (Van Schaick) Ramsey (1799–1892).[1][2] On March 17, 1835, he married Sarah S. Boyce, a granddaughter of Assemblyman John Rice, and they had two sons. Ramsey studied law in the office of Assemblyman Jedediah Miller, was admitted to the bar in 1840, and practiced in Lawyersville.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Schoharie County, 2nd District) in 1855 as a Whig; and of the New York State Senate (17th D.) in 1856 and 1857 as a Republican.[3] While in the Senate, Ramsey secured a law to finance the construction of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad by authorizing the towns along the line to subscribe to the stock of the company, and he was chosen Vice President of the railroad in 1858. Litigation ensued, but the New York Court of Appeals upheld the law. In 1859, the Legislature authorized the State to help the railroad with $200,000 (~$5.43 million in 2023) but the law was vetoed by Gov. Edwin D. Morgan.
He was again a member of the State Senate (13th D.) from 1860 to 1863, sitting in the 83rd, 84th, 85th and 86th New York State Legislatures. He introduced three more bills to grant State funds for the completion of the railroad which also were all vetoed by Gov. Morgan. Finally, a bill appropriating $500,000 passed the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Horatio Seymour in 1863, and Ramsey was chosen President of the railroad. In 1868, Gov. Reuben E. Fenton allowed another $250,000 (~$5.09 million in 2023) of State funds to complete the construction, and the railroad began operating the completed line from Albany to Binghamton in 1869. Shortly afterwards Ramsey opposed the hostile take-over of the railroad by Jay Gould and James Fisk, and the next year the railroad was leased to the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company.[2]
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