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). 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 law 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. 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 $200,000 (~$ in ) 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 $250,000 (~$ in ) 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. Ramsey died in
Howes Cave, New York on May 12, 1894. ==References==