Ramsey Family

The J. M. Ramsey collection came to Edmond History Museum (EHM), from the Cleveland County Historical Society. Cleveland County’s transfer of the Ramsey collection is an important addition to EHM’s documentation of early settlers in the Edmond area. The Ramsey collection contains 140 items ranging from photos and letters to various legal certificates and documents that reflect Ramsey’s drive for land and his family’s strong work ethics. The collection dates from 1861 to1983 and contains three major categories; photographs, letters, and business records that document the growth and professional life of the Ramsey family.

The Ramsey family is headed by James Monroe (J.M.) Ramsey and his wife Laura Ella Briscoe-Ramsey. They were married on August 22, 1888, and had seven children: Roy Ramsey, Don “JJ” Ramsey, Elsie Ramsey, Katie Bell Ramsey, William Ramsey, Marten Leslie Ramsey, and Mary Lillian Ramsey.

J.M. Ramsey was elected Mayor of Edmond from May 7, 1923, to May 4, 1925.

The Ramsey Collection includes a variety of correspondence, receipts from the family’s business transactions over the years, and photographs. Included in the correspondence is the legal battle that the Ramsey family, particularly Marten Leslie Ramsey, underwent with the Turnpike Authority over land encroachment.