Connor, Selden

Selden Connor, governor

was a Civil War general, formerly a Colonel in the 19th Maine Volunteers, and governor from 1876 through 1879. He was born in Fairfield on January 25, 1839, attended local schools, and graduated from Tufts College in 1859. In 1861, as Civil War threatened the country, Connor joined the 1st Vermont Regiment. He rose through…

Dingley, Nelson Jr.

Nelson Dingley, Jr. (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1832-1899) a U.S. Representative was born in Durham on February 15, 1832. He attended the common schools at Unity, Waterville Seminary, and Waterville College, now Colby College. Dingley was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1855, studied law and was admitted to the bar. He soon left the profession and became proprietor and editor of the…

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…

Chamberlain, Joshua L.

Joshua L. Chamberlain (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1828-1914) was born September 8, 1828, in Brewer the eldest of five children. He worked on his father’s farm and, like many other promising young men, taught school for a time. Entering Bowdoin College in Brunswick in 1848, Chamberlain studied the traditional classical curriculum and showed particular skill at languages. At First Parish Church, he…

Cony, Samuel

Samuel Cony (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1811-1870), Governor of Maine from 1864 to 1867, was born in Augusta on February 27, 1811 in a politically active family with a military tradition. His father, General Samuel Cony, was the first Adjutant-General of Maine, holding that office for a decade, and was a representative of Augusta to the Massachusetts General Court. Educated at…

Coburn, Abner

Abner Coburn (courtesy Maine State Museum)

(1803-1885) governor of Maine 1863-1864, was born in that part of Canaan now Skowhegan on March 22, 1803. He was the great-grandson of Joseph Weston, one of the town’s first settlers. His brother, Stephen Coburn, was a member of Congress. After minimal schooling, including a brief stint at Bloomfield Academy, Coburn became an assistant to…

Washburn, Israel Jr.

Israel Washburn, Jr. (courtesy Maine State Museum)

  (1813-1883), a U.S. Representative and brother of Elihu Benjamin Washburn, Cadwallader Colden Washburn, and William Drew Washburn, was born in Livermore on June 6, 1813. (See more on the Washburn family at Norlands.) Washburn attended the common schools and was educated by private tutors, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1834 and…