Ogdensburg’s location at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Oswegatchie Rivers made it an economic powerhouse in the 19th century, and the efforts of nine local congressmen only added to its success.
The first person elected to Congress from Ogdensburg was Ransom Gillet, a lawyer and postmaster who served from 1833 to 1837. During his time in office, the Senate censured President Andrew Jackson for defunding the Second Bank of the United States, and an assassination attempt was made on the President. Gillet served as a federal commissioner to negotiate with New York's Native Americans. (From 1830 to 1850, over 100,000 Native Americans were removed from their lands.) In later years, he wrote a two-volume biography of Silas Wright. During this time of political turmoil and change, other notable figures emerged in New York's political landscape, including John Fine, who championed women's rights.
Women in New York should be grateful to John Fine, an attorney who graduated from Columbia College and Litchfield Law School. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1839. Fine is best known for promoting women's rights through the introduction of the Married Women's Property Act, which was passed in 1848 after being blocked for twelve years. This law allowed married women to retain ownership of property and prohibited their husbands from controlling or disposing of it. It served as a model for other states, providing women with economic independence. In addition, Fine also supported other women’s rights initiatives, such as equal pay and the right to vote. Ogdensburg’s next Congressman supported different initiatives.
Serving in Congress as a Whig (1841-1843), Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (1810-1864) was a graduate of West Point. Van Rensselaer supported the Whig platform of protective tariffs, internal improvements, and a national bank. He was a brevet Second Lieutenant with the Fifth Regiment U.S. Infantry. After his father’s death, he inherited land along the St. Lawrence River, becoming a farmer. He constructed a mansion, Woodford Farm, which burned to the ground in 1855. During the Civil War, he was chief of staff under General Winfield Scott, but died of Typhoid Fever just before the end of the war. Van Rensselaer later headed several mining companies, the Northern Railroad, and the Ogdensburg, Clayton, and Rome Railroad. During his time in Congress, the Whigs had a majority. William Henry Harrison was inaugurated as president, but died a month later of pneumonia. John Tyler succeeded Harrison and vetoed a bill to reconstitute the Bank of the United States, leading the Whigs to a violent protest outside the White House. Van Rensselaer's life was cut short by illness, leaving behind political and economic contributions. In contrast, Preston King's political career spanned multiple parties and positions, ultimately ending tragically and unexpectedly.
Preston King (1806-1865) graduated from Union College and became a lawyer, following in the footsteps of his guardian, Louis Hasbrouck. He established the St. Lawrence Republican newspaper in 1830, but found his calling in politics. An ally of President Martin Van Buren, King was opposed to slavery his entire life and was a member of the Democratic, Free Soil, and Republican Parties. He first served in the State Assembly (1835-1838) as a Democrat, then was elected to the House of Representatives (1843-1847 and 1849-1853) as a Free Soiler, a party that was founded on the idea of preventing the expansion of slavery into the western territories. King was elected as a Republican to the Senate in 1857. Afterwards, he was considered as a candidate for vice president, but instead he served as chief of staff for President Andrew Johnson. King left the White House and was appointed Collector of the Port of New York to combat corruption at the port. Suffering from Depression, he tied a bag of bullets around his neck and leapt from a ferry boat, drowning in New York Harbor. In contrast, Congressman Perkins pursued a career in law and politics, serving as a state assemblyman and later as a member of Congress for the Democratic Party.
Bishop Perkins (1787-1866) started a law practice in Lisbon in 1812, later moving to Ogdensburg. He served as the Clerk of the St. Lawrence County Board of Supervisors (1820-1852) and district attorney (1821-1840). Perkins was a state assemblyman and was then elected to Congress in 1853 as a Democrat. During his time in Congress, the U.S. negotiated with Mexico to acquire the Gadsden Purchase, which facilitated the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad. Additionally, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, allowing settlers to decide whether to permit slavery in their territory. It led to “Bleeding Kansas”, which was one of the events that led to the Civil War. In comparison to Perkins' political career, Dr. Sherman's time in Congress was marked by significant events that ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Dr. Socrates Sherman (1801-1873) was born in Vermont, but came to Ogdensburg in 1825 to establish a practice as a surgeon and physician. Sherman was elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1861. This was the first time that the Republican Party controlled both houses of Congress. During this time, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as President, and the Homestead Act was passed. Due to the outbreak of the Civil War, he declined to be renominated. When the Civil War began, he joined the 34th New York Infantry as a surgeon, then served in the U.S. Volunteers in the Medical Department of the Army. Similarly, Congressman James also had a significant impact on Ogdensburg during this time period.
Born in Stephenstown, NY, Amaziah B. James (1812-1883) was apprenticed to a printer in Batavia before moving to Ogdensburg in 1831 to edit the Northern Light newspaper. He purchased the Times and Advertiser, which was a Whig newspaper. Later, he joined the local artillery company and was promoted to major general of the New York State Militia. He studied law and started his practice in 1838. James was a justice on the New York Supreme Court (1854-1876), then served in Congress as a Republican from 1877-1881. James was an ardent abolitionist. During the Patriot War, James took part in the capture of the Pirate Bill Johnson. During James' tenure in Congress, Democrats controlled the House of Representatives. Rutherford B. Hayes, a Republican, lost the popular vote, but through the Compromise of 1877, he became president. This backroom deal ensured that Republicans held on to the presidency and ended Reconstruction in the South. James remained dedicated to his political career and achieved success much like General N.M. Curtis.
Medal of Honor winner Newton Martin Curtis (1835-1910) was born in DePeyster. He was a teacher, a lawyer, and later a postmaster. Curtis stood at 6’7, which caused concern for his family when, in 1861, he volunteered for the Union Army during the Civil War. Family members thought that he would present an easy target because of his size. Curtis served as a captain first in the 16th New York Volunteers, then transferred to the 142nd New York Volunteers as a Lt. Colonel. Eventually, he received a brevet promotion to Brigadier General in 1864. Due to his actions a Fort Fisher, he was severely injured, losing an eye. After the war, he was appointed collector of customs in Oswegatchie and was elected to the New York State Assembly(1884-1890). He was elected to Congress as a Republican (1891-1897). During Curtis’s time in office, Grover Cleveland was elected as president for the second time. An economic depression called the Panic of 1893 began and lasted for four years. As a result, unemployed workers known as Coxey’s Army marched on Washington, DC, demanding jobs and public works projects. In contrast to Curtis's military and political career, another notable figure from St. Lawrence County, Senator Malby, also made significant contributions to his community and the state of New York.
Known as “The Boss” of St. Lawrence County, George R. Malby (1857-1912) was born in Canton. He studied law with the Honorable John M. Kellogg, was admitted to the bar in 1889, and began a partnership with D. B. Lucy in 1890. Malby held many political offices, including Justice of the Peace for the Town of Oswegatchie and was elected to the state assembly, where he was Speaker of the Assembly in 1894 and 1895. He was a State Senator from 1896-1906 and was instrumental in securing funding for the establishment of the State Hospital in Ogdensburg. He was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1907 until he died suddenly in 1912 while at a hotel in NYC. During his time in Congress, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona were admitted as states, and Congress ratified the 16th Amendment to allow the collection of an income tax.
Thanks to the efforts of these nine congressmen, Ogdensburg was able to thrive and grow in the 19th century. Their advocacy for local projects and legislation helped bring federal funding to the city and ensured that the concerns of its residents were heard at the national level. Ogdensburg's location at the confluence of two rivers may have made it an economic powerhouse, but it was the hard work and dedication of these congressmen that made it a powerhouse in the political arena as well.
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