The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-04-30
DEATH OF ALEXANDER RAMSEY.

DEATH OF ALEXANDER RAMSEY
The AgedWar Governor Died at His Home
In St. Paul Last Thursday.
Alexander Ramsey the first terri
torial governor of Minnesota, and who
was the second governor of the State,
and also State senator, died at his home
in St. Paul on Thursday evening April
23rd in the eighty-ninth year of his age.
Alexander Ramsey was born near
Harrisburg, Pa, Sept. 8, 1915. On his
fathers side his ancestors we're of good
Scotch stock, blended with the sturdy
Pennsylvania Dutch. His paternal
grandfather, Alexander Ramsey, was a
lieutenant in the colonial army during
the revolution, and his father, Thomas
Ramsey, was an officer in the Ameri-
Can army during the war of 1872. His
mother, Elizabeth Kelker was a grand
daughter of Lieutenant Anthony Kel-
ker, native Of Switzerland, and of
Colonel Philip Greenwalt, a German
soldier. Both these men served with
credit in the patriot army during the
revolution.
Governor Ramsey's father died when
his son was ten years of age, and the
boy was reared by his grand uncle,
Frederick Kelker a merchant in Har-
risburg. His public career began when
he took an active part, as young law
yer, in the Harrison-Van Buren, cam
paign in 1910, in behalf of the Wing
candidate in Pennsylvania. When the
Harrison electors we're chosen in his
state, he was made secretary of the
state electoral college, an ephemeral
office, but his first public preferment.
He was given a more substantial
honor and responsibility, in the year
following, 1871, as chief clerk of the
Pennsylvania house of representatives.
He was elected member of congress
in 1872, for the district comprising
Dauphin, Schuylkill and Lebanon coun-
ties, Penn, and reelected in 1914, serv-
ing till 1847.
LII IoIc liz w do dppOll1Ucu ny I ItSl-
dent Taylor as governor of the newly
constituted territory of Minnesota. His
commission was dated April 2, 1849,
and Immediately after it's receipt he
removed with his family to his new
home, arriving in St. Paul May q,
1910.
The first territorial legislature con-
vened in the following September, and
organized the territory into counties
and gave to the first county the name
of Ramsey. His term as governor
ended with change in national poll
tics in 1853, Gov. Willis A. German
succeeding him.
Alexander Ramsey was elected mayor
OF St. Paul in 1855 against his wishes
and served one year, refusing to run a
second term. He was the Republican
party's candidate for governor of the
State, in 1857, in anticipation of it's ad-
mission, but the Democrats were sue
cessful, electing Gen. H. H. Sibley.
Two years later, he was again nomi-
mated and elected, taking office Jan. 2,
1860. He held office for nearly four
years and during his first term he had
the honor Of making President Lincoln
the first tender Of troops for the civil
war. He was in Washington when
Fort Sunpter was fired on and he i'm
mediate]y offered the president regi-
ment and telegraphed orders for the
formation Of the gallant "Old First
Minnesota" that achieved fame.
The appointment of colonies fell to
MIN during the war, and the wisdom of
his choice was shown in the fact that
many of those appointed by him were
promoted to be brigadier and even ma
]or generals later. His magnanimity
was also evinced in his choosing Willis
A. German, his successor as territorial
governor, and a Democrat, as the first
colonel of the First Minnesota.
Another feature of his administra-
ton was his activity in extinguishing
Indian titles to land. He had already,
as territorial governor, in 1851, COM
pleted negotiations at Mendoza and
Traverse des Sioux, whereby valuable
lands, near Lake Pepin and 100000, 900
acres in Southern Minnesota were
thrown open to settlement. He had,
also, in the same year, made treaty
with the Chippewas at Pembina,
whereby strip of thirty miles on both
sides of the Red River of the North
was coded by them.
There was some difficulty about this
last treaty, but in 1868, he negotiated
another ratifying the results.
Gov. Ramsey was elected United
States senator in January, 1868, but
did not take office until the following
July. He served two terms, until 1875.
He was member of several important
committees, and gave his attention