James B. Ray

James B. Ray

James Brown Ray (born February 19, 1794 in Jefferson County , Kentucky , †  August 4, 1848 in Cincinnati , Ohio ) was an American politician and between 1825 and 1831 the 4th governor of the state of Indiana .

Early years and political advancement

After elementary school, Ray studied law in Cincinnati . After passing his exams and being admitted to the bar, he moved to Brookville , Indiana, where he practiced as a lawyer. From 1821 Ray was politically active in his new home. That year he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives. Between 1822 and 1825 he was a member of the State Senate , of which he was President between 1824 and 1825. In this capacity he moved up after the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Ratliff Boon in his position as Deputy Governor; Boon had resigned in January 1824 to run for a seat in Congress . When the incumbent Governor William Hendricks resigned on February 12, 1825 to take a seat in the US Senate , James Ray rose to be the new governor of Indiana.

Indiana Governor

Ray had to end the term of his predecessor first. Then he was confirmed twice in the elections, so that he could serve as governor until December 7, 1831. During this time, he was particularly committed to building and expanding the infrastructure in Indiana. This included the expansion of the road and canal system. But he also began laying the foundation for the railroad age in Indiana. The first plans for a railroad were limited to the area around the capital Indianapolis . The governor also concluded trade agreements with the Indians who were still living in his area . It was then that Indiana's industrial rise began. Governor Ray stood up for the poor and socially disadvantaged and had orphanages built, among other things. Nevertheless, he had to deal with strong opposition in his state, especially towards the end of his term in office.

There are different sources of information about his party affiliation. While the National Governors Association names him a member of the Democratic Republican Party , other sources refer to him as an independent.

Another résumé

After his term in office, he founded a newspaper and retired from politics after unsuccessfully running for a seat in Congress in 1836. He died in August 1848 in Cincinnati and was buried there. James Ray was married twice and had a total of seven children.

Web links

• James Ray in the National Governors Association (English)
• James Ray in the History of the Indiana Governors
• James B. Ray in the database of Find a Grave (English)