Henry Gordon Burleigh

Henry Gordon Burleigh (June 2, 1832 – August 10, 1900) was an American businessman, banker and politician. He served as a United States representative from New York and as a member of the New York State Assembly during the 1870s.

Biography Born in Canaan, New Hampshire, Burleigh was the son of Gordon Burleigh. He was raised in Concord, New Hampshire and attended the common schools. He moved to New York in 1846 with his parents, who settled in Ticonderoga. He engaged in the mining of iron ore and in the lumber, coal, and transportation business. He was supervisor of the town of Ticonderoga in 1864 and 1865 before moving to Whitehall, New York in 1867 to expand his transportation business. He owned many canalboats and steamers which he used to move freight through Canada and the U.S.

He was involved in the banking industry, serving as the president of the National Bank at Whitehall and the First National Bank of Ticonderoga. He was also involved in real estate and owned large amounts of real estate in the U.S. and Canada.

Political career In 1855, he was secretary of the first Republican convention in New York. He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Washington Co., 2nd D.) in 1876. Burleigh was a delegate to the 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892 and 1896 Republican National Conventions.

He was elected as a Republican candidate to the 48th and 49th Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1887. While in Congress, he served on the United States House Committee on Rivers and Harbors.

Personal life Burleigh married Jennie E. Richards in 1869, and they had three sons: Charles Richards Burleigh, Henry Gordon Burleigh Jr. and James Weeks Burleigh.

Burleigh's home in Ticonderoga, the H. G. Burleigh House, was built in 1894 and is a Queen Anne style building. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988.