Charles G. Ramsey

Charles G. Ramsey (ca. 1821–1887) was a newspaper publisher who came to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1836 and in 1840 established the city's first daily newspaper, the New Era, with Nathaniel Paschall and published it for about ten years.

Advertisement in the Palmyra (Missouri) Weekly Whig, June 24, 1852, announcing the future appearance of the St. Louis Weekly News, with Charles G. Ramsey as publisher The Daily Era began publishing news about guest registrations in hotels, and on October 28, 1847, the paper noted the arrival of "A. Lincoln and family as staying at Scott's Hotel in St. Louis."

In July 1852, Ramsey founded the St. Louis News, which was to be issued in two editions — a Weekly News which "will be furnished to subscribers singly, or in clubs of any number, at the one invariable price of one dollar a year in advance." The thrice-a-week News was to be "of equal size with the weekly" at three dollars a year. In a "Prospectus," he wrote:

At one point, the Evening News ridiculed a North Missouri Railroad engineer named Morris, who challenged Ramsey to a duel. The latter refused and he and his challenger reconciled.

Ramsey was connected in the Evening News endeavor with Abram S. Mitchell, and at one point the former took over the editorial management of both the News and a newspaper called The Intelligencer.

was a good printer, but mighty independent. He was always called 'that boy' by Charles G. Ramsey, proprietor and editor of the News. He'd get down late once in a while, and Ramsey would say: "Here's that –– boy late again." Clemens didn't say anything to this for a long time, but one morning he turned to Ramsey and replied: "Take your dashed situation, and go to (a warm country)!" He left the office[,] and we heard nothing of him for several years.

The office of the St. Louis Daily Evening News and Intelligencer was on the west side of Third Street, north of Olive, then a new center of downtown activity.

Ramsey, who was a strong supporter of the Union, at one point criticized General John C. Frémont's command of Union troops stationed in St. Louis. Frémont ordered him arrested on a charge of "giving aid and comfort to the enemy", and he was placed in the Gratiot Street Prison. He was brought before the general who "with military coldness and sternness," demanded of the prisoner:

He later published the Intelligencer, which was edited by Joseph B. Crockett, who became a justice of the California Supreme Court

In 1874, Ramsey ran for St. Louis County recorder, and in 1877 he was called before the city's Board of Health to answer the charge of maintaining a pond of stagnant water on the west side of Columbus Street between Harper and Ann streets. The board decided that the cost of remedying the situation would be paid by the city. His name was presented as a candidate for inspector of weights and measures in March 1885, but he lost the bid at a Republican nominating convention.

Ramsey died on December 31, 1887; his funeral was on January 3, 1888.