The 960-meter long street, designed with an arcaded sidewalk,was named in honor of one of the longest serving chief executives of the municipality of Cebu, Fructuoso Ramos. Cebu was a municipality until it was converted as a city in 1937. The chief executives of the municipality (first local election in Cebu was held in 1907) were first called as presidents then later as mayors.
Fructuoso was the son of Juan Ramos and Rosa Rodis. The parents of Fructuoso were from a barrio called Sangi, it is where Lincoln St. is situated, in the premises of the Carbon Market, which was part of the Lutao District. Ramos was educated at the Colegio de San Carlos for his primary course but was not able to pursue further studies due to poverty. At an early age he was employed as a clerk of the municipality of Cebu, this is because of his fluency in the Spanish language.
Ramos' political career started when he ran as a councilor, then later as vice president of Vicente Teves. In 1912, Ramos was elected mayor of the municipality of Cebu. He held the position of mayor for four consecutive terms, this was from 1912 to 1922.
He was then succeeded as Mayor by the following: Hilario Abellana, who became Governor of Cebu, replacing Gov. Buenaventura Rodriguez, Alberto Mansueto, Julian Alcantara and Regino Mercado. Ramos came back to office in 1933. His last election was in 1934. His opponent in that election held on June 5, 1934 was Cesar Sotto, son of Don Vicente Yap Sotto. Ramos won, garnering a vote of 5,419 while Cesar Sotto got 4,190. There was another who succeeded Ramos before the Cebu became a City, that was Marcos M. Morelos.
Fructuoso Ramos was supported by Don Sergio Osmeña in his political career. He was loved by many that he was the only person whom a street was named after him when he was yet alive.
The F. Ramos Street was constructed before the 1920's. The ownership of the road was the subject of a legal action, when James Rafferty, a retired American Customs Collector of Cebu sought for the return of his property.
James Rafferty, who was a resident of San Francisco, California came back to Cebu in 1925 and instituted a suit on December 5, 1925 for the recovery of lands. The subject of his legal action is where a portion of the Osmeña Park (Fuente Osmeña) and F. Ramos Street was constructed. Rafferty claimed that the Province of Cebu that usurped his land and then donated it to the municipality of Cebu should return his property. The defendants, municipality of Cebu and Province of Cebu argued that Rafferty through an agent sold his land in 1912.
The Supreme Court through Justice Johns dismissed the appeal of Rafferty, who lost in the Court of First Instance of Cebu saying that it was wrong for the former to only act now after years that the property was possessed by the Province of Cebu. This was decided by the Supreme Court on December 29, 1928.
Ramos was also part of the founders of the Southern Institute founded in 1927, now called the University of Southern Philippines Foundation. The main founder of the school was Engr. Agustin Jereza, the co-founders of Ramos were: Virgilio Gonzales, a Doctor of Medicine, Miguel Sanson, a lawyer, Hipolito Andrada, Felipe Ouano and, Jose Mirasol.
A barangay in the Central District of Cebu City originally called Cogon was added the suffix Ramos, the barangay is now officially called as Brgy. Cogon-Ramos. It is named in honor of Fructuoso Rodis Ramos.