King, William

Portrait of Governor William King

(1768-1852) the first governor of Maine, was a wealthy business owner and politician. At one point, the wealthiest ship owner in Maine, he was active in politics representing first Topsham then Bath in the Massachusetts legislature at various times between 1795 and 1819. He was the leading force behind the movement for separation of Maine…

LePage, Paul R.

Paul R. LePage (governor

(from the governor’s official internet site, April 25, 2011) Paul LePage has spent most of his life tackling one challenge after another, the kinds of challenges that defeat most people. The oldest son of eighteen children in an impoverished, dysfunctional family, Governor LePage left home at the age of eleven to escape domestic violence and…

Lincoln, Enoch

Governor Enoch Lincoln

(1749-1829) was born in Hingham, Massachusetts on December 28, 1788. His father was Lieutenant Governor of that State from 1807 to 1808. Enoch entered Harvard College in 1806 but withdrew in 1808. In 1821 he received an honorary Master of Arts from Bowdoin College. On leaving Harvard, he studied law with his brother and was…

Longley, James B. Sr.

James B. Longley, Sr. in the governor

(1924-1980) born in Lewiston, attended public schools, Bowdoin College, and received a law degree from the University of Maine in 1957. After his service with the Army Air Corps during World War II, he returned to enter the insurance business and became quite successful with his form Longley Associates. He served Governor Kenneth Curtis chairing…

Milliken, Carl E.

Carl E. Milliken (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1877-1961) was born on July 13, 1877 in Pittsfield, attended public schools there before graduating from Cony High School, then Bates College in the class of 1897. He went on to receive his masters degree from Harvard in 1899 before moving to Island Falls to enter the lumber business. Carl Elias Milliken held positions as…

Mills, Janet

Governor Janet Mills (2018)

Janet Trafton Mills (1947-    )  was sworn in as the 75th Governor of Maine on Wednesday, January 2, 2019. She was born and raised in Farmington, where she still proudly lives today. The granddaughter of Aroostook County potato farmers and the daughter of a long-time high school English teacher and the U.S. Attorney for…

Morrill, Anson P.

Anson P. Morrill (courtesy Maine State Museum)

  (1803-1887), brother of Lot Myrick Morrill, a U.S. Representative, was born in Belgrade on June 10, 1803 and attended the district schools. Appointed postmaster at Dearborn, Kennebec County, he served from November 1, 1825 to June 3, 1841. He moved to Madison and then to Readfield in 1844, where he took charge of a…

Morrill, Lot M.

Lot M. Morrill (courtesy Maine State Archives)

  (1813-1883), a Senator from Maine and brother of Anson Peaslee Morrill, was born in Belgrade, May 3, 1813. He attended the district schools and Waterville (now Colby) College. He studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1839, and began practice in Readfield, then moved to Augusta in 1841. Initially a Democrat, the slavery…

Muskie, Edmund S.

Edmund S. Muskie (courtesy of Maine State Museum)

Edmund Muskie (1914-1996) received a B.A. from Bates College and law degree from Cornell University, and served in the Navy in World War II. He entered politics winning a seat in the Maine House of Representatives in 1946 while practicing law in Waterville. He served as a state legislator (1947-1951) and as director of the…

Parkhurst, Frederick H.

Frederic Parkhurst

(1864-1921) born in Unity on November 5, 1864, attended local schools, and after receiving his degree from Columbia Law School in 1887, he was admitted to the Maine bar. Parkhurst joined his father in a leather goods business of which he later became president. He served on the Bangor Common Council and in the Maine…

Parris, Albion K.

Albion K. Parris (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1788-1857) was born in Hebron, Maine (at that time a part of Massachusetts) on January 19, 1788. He was a cousin of Virgil Delphini Parris also a U.S. U.S. Representative. Albion Parris, a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and a Senator from Maine, graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1806; studied law; and was…

Payne, Frederick G.

Frederick G. Payne (courtesy of Maine State Museum)

Frederick G. Payne (1904-1978) a Senator from Maine; born in Lewiston on July 24, 1904. He attended the public schools of Lewiston and the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in Boston. During early school days he worked as a newsboy, usher and doorman in a theater, and as a reporter for a weekly newspaper.…

Perham, Sidney

Sidney Perham, governor

(1819-1907) a U.S. Representative, was born in Woodstock on March 27, 1819 where he attended the common schools and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He later became a resident of nearby Paris. A member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1854, he served as speaker. A supporter of alcohol prohibition, in 1857 he spoke in…

Plaisted, Harris M.

Harris M. Plaisted (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1828-1898) a U.S. Representative, was born in Jefferson, Coos County, New Hampshire on November 2, 1828. He attended the common schools, and was graduated from Waterville College in 1853 and from the Albany (New York) Law School in 1856. His son, Frederick W. Plaisted was governor 1911-1913. Plaisted was admitted to the bar and commenced…