Representative Henry Gordon Burleigh

Henry Gordon Burleigh (June 2, 1832 – August 10, 1900) was an American businessman, banker, and Republican politician who served as a United States Representative from New York from 1883 to 1887 and as a member of the New York State Assembly during the 1870s. His congressional service spanned two terms in the House of Representatives and took place during a significant period in American history, in which he participated in the legislative and democratic processes and represented the interests of his New York constituents.

Burleigh was born on June 2, 1832, in Canaan, New Hampshire, the son of Gordon Burleigh. He was raised in Concord, New Hampshire, where he attended the common schools. In 1846 he moved with his parents to New York, and the family settled in Ticonderoga. This relocation to northern New York placed him in a region where natural resources and transportation networks were rapidly developing, providing the foundation for his later business and political career.

After settling in Ticonderoga, Burleigh engaged in the mining of iron ore and entered the lumber, coal, and transportation businesses. He built a substantial commercial enterprise around these industries, eventually owning many canalboats and steamers that he used to move freight through both Canada and the United States. His success as an entrepreneur made him a prominent figure in the economic life of the region. In 1864 and 1865 he served as supervisor of the town of Ticonderoga, marking his early entry into public office. In 1867 he moved to Whitehall, New York, in order to expand his transportation business, further consolidating his position in regional commerce.

Burleigh’s business activities extended into banking and manufacturing. He became president of the National Bank at Whitehall and the First National Bank of Ticonderoga, roles that underscored his influence in local and regional finance. He also served as a director of the International Paper Company, the Ticonderoga Pulp and Paper Company, and the St. Maurice Lumber Company, reflecting his continued involvement in the lumber and paper industries. In addition, he was active in real estate and owned large amounts of property in both the United States and Canada, reinforcing his status as a leading businessman in the North Country.

Politically, Burleigh was identified early with the Republican Party. In 1855 he served as secretary of the first Republican convention in New York, aligning himself with the emerging party in the decade before the Civil War. He later represented Washington County’s 2nd District in the New York State Assembly in 1876, participating in state-level legislation during the post–Civil War and Reconstruction era. His prominence within the party was further demonstrated by his repeated selection as a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, and 1896, where he took part in the nomination of Republican presidential candidates and in shaping the party’s national platform.

Burleigh was elected as a Republican to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses, serving as a Representative from New York from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1887. During his two terms in the United States House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process at the federal level and represented the interests of his New York constituents during a period of industrial expansion and infrastructural development. While in Congress he served on the House Committee on Rivers and Harbors, a key assignment for a legislator whose professional background was rooted in transportation and commerce, and one that placed him at the center of debates over internal improvements and navigation projects.

In his personal life, Burleigh married Jennie E. Richards in 1869. The couple had three sons: Charles Richards Burleigh, Henry Gordon Burleigh Jr., and James Weeks Burleigh. His prosperity and standing in Ticonderoga were reflected in the construction of the H. G. Burleigh House in 1894, a substantial Queen Anne–style residence that later gained recognition for its architectural and historical significance. The house has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988, underscoring the lasting physical legacy of his presence in the community.

Henry Gordon Burleigh died of appendicitis in Whitehall, New York, on August 10, 1900. He was interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Ticonderoga, New York. His career as a businessman, banker, local official, state legislator, national party delegate, and member of Congress illustrates the close connections between commerce and politics in the late nineteenth-century United States and reflects the role of regional leaders in shaping both local development and national policy.