John Fremont Hill (courtesy Maine State Museum)
John Freemont (1855-1912) born in Eliot on October 29, 1855, was Maine governor from 1901 to 1905. Educated in local schools, he attended the Maine Medical School of Brunswick receiving his degree in 1877.
Although he practiced medicine for a year in Boothbay Harbor, he soon became a partner with his father-in-law, P. O. Vickery, in what became the successfully Vickery and Hill Publishing Company, with offices in Boston, New York, and Chicago.
A strong Republican, Hill served in the Maine House (1889-1892) and Senate (1893-1897), and was a member of the Executive Council (1899-1900). As a legislator, he promoted railroad, land development and utilities companies, believing they would contribute to the state’s prosperity. In 1900 he was elected Governor and was reelected for a second term.
After retiring from politics, he returned to his growing business interests. He died in Augusta on March 16, 1912.
Additional Resources
*Kennebec Journal, Augusta, March 18, 1912.
*McIntyre, Philip W. and Blanding, William F. Men of Progress. Boston: New England Magazine, 1897, pp. 260-261.
New York Times, March 17, 1912.
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2
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*Cited in Friends of the Blaine House at http://blainehouse.org/governors(accessed April 25, 2011) (accessed April 25, 2011)