Jeremiah Russell

Jeremiah Russell (January 26, 1786 – September 30, 1867) was an American businessman, banker, and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1843 to 1845. He was born in Saugerties, Ulster County, New York, where he spent virtually his entire life. His formal education was limited, and his early years were marked by family hardship; his father died when Russell was nine years old, and he contributed to the support of his family by working on local farms. These early experiences in rural New York helped shape his familiarity with the economic and social concerns of his community.

As a young man, Russell left farm work to become a clerk in a store, where he learned the retail business and acquired the commercial experience that would underpin his later career. Establishing himself in Saugerties, he embarked on a series of business ventures that reflected the expanding economy of the early nineteenth century. He owned and operated a general store and became involved in shipbuilding, real estate, and the construction of roads and turnpikes, activities that tied him closely to the commercial development of the Hudson River Valley. Over time, he also entered the banking field, and as his sons matured he transferred most of his non-banking enterprises to them, choosing to concentrate his own efforts on banking and financial affairs.

Russell’s prominence in local business naturally led to public service in his home town and county. He served as postmaster in Saugerties, a position that placed him at the center of local communications and commerce. He was elected town supervisor of Saugerties for multiple terms, holding that office from 1825 to 1828, again from 1830 to 1833, and once more from 1837 to 1840. In these roles he was responsible for local governance and administration at a time when town officials exercised significant influence over roads, poor relief, and other community matters. His growing stature in Democratic Party politics was reflected in his selection as a presidential elector twice: in 1828 he cast his electoral ballot for Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun, and in 1836 he voted for Martin Van Buren and Richard Mentor Johnson. He further advanced in state politics as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1842, representing his region in Albany and participating in legislative deliberations on state policy.

Building on this record of local and state service, Russell was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845. As a member of the Democratic Party representing New York, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents. His term in Congress coincided with debates over territorial expansion, economic policy, and sectional tensions that would continue to shape national politics in the decades leading up to the Civil War. Russell served one term and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1844 to the Twenty-ninth Congress.

After leaving Congress, Russell returned to Saugerties and resumed his banking and business interests. Having already shifted much of his commercial and industrial activity to his sons, he continued to be identified primarily with banking and local economic affairs. His long engagement in business, transportation, and finance made him a notable figure in the civic and economic life of his community well into his later years.

In his personal life, Russell was married twice. In 1806 he married Elizabeth Moose (1788–1846), with whom he had eight children. Among them was William Fiero Russell, who would later follow his father into national public life by serving in Congress. After the death of his first wife, Russell married Christina Crawford (1801–1883) in 1847. His family connections, particularly through his son’s congressional service, extended his influence into the next generation of New York political life.

Jeremiah Russell died in Saugerties, New York, on September 30, 1867. He was interred in Mountain View Cemetery in Saugerties, closing a life that had spanned from the early years of the new republic through the Civil War era, and that combined local business leadership, party activism, and service in both state and national government.