Llewellyn Powers

Summary

Llewellyn Powers (October 14, 1836 – July 28, 1908) was a U.S. Representative from Maine and the 44th Governor of Maine.

Llewellyn Powers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 4th district
In office
March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
Preceded byHarris M. Plaisted
Succeeded byGeorge W. Ladd
In office
April 8, 1901 – July 28, 1908
Preceded byCharles A. Boutelle
Succeeded byFrank E. Guernsey
44th Governor of Maine
In office
January 2, 1897 – January 2, 1901
Preceded byHenry B. Cleaves
Succeeded byJohn F. Hill
Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
In office
1895–1896
Preceded byAlbert R. Savage
Succeeded bySeth L. Larrabee
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
In office
1873-1876
1883
1892
1895
Personal details
Born(1836-10-14)October 14, 1836
Pittsfield, Maine
DiedJuly 28, 1908(1908-07-28) (aged 71)
Houlton, Maine
Resting placeWest Pittsfield Cemetery, near Pittsfield, Maine
Political partyRepublican
Alma materColby College
Signature

Biography edit

Born in Pittsfield, Maine, Powers attended the common schools of Pittsfield and St. Albans Academy. He graduated from the Colburn Classical Institute. He attended Colby University, Waterville, Maine, and graduated from the law department of Union University, Albany, New York, in 1860. He was admitted to the bar in Albany, New York, and Somerset, Maine, in 1860 and commenced practice in Houlton, Maine, in January 1861.

He served as prosecuting attorney for Aroostook County from 1864 to 1871. He also served as collector of customs for the district of Aroostook from 1868 to 1872. He served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives, 1873–1876, 1883, 1892, and 1895; during the last term, he served as speaker. While in the Maine House, his bill abolishing capital punishment was considered by the House in 1876 and passed by a vote of 75 to 68, making Maine the third state to abolish the death penalty.[1]

Powers was elected as a Republican to the Forty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1878 to the Forty-sixth Congress. He served as Governor of Maine from 1897 to 1901.

Powers was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Charles A. Boutelle. He was reelected to the Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, and Sixtieth Congresses and served from April 8, 1901, until his death in Houlton, Maine, July 28, 1908.[2][3]

In December 1886, Powers married Martha Averill with whom he had five children.[4] He is buried in West Pittsfield Cemetery, near Pittsfield, Maine.

His brother, Frederick A. Powers, was attorney general of Maine and served on the Maine Supreme Court.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Governor Abolishes the Death Penalty in Maine | Albany Law School: A New York Law School". www.albanylaw.edu. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014.
  2. ^ "Congressman Powers Dies in Houlton, ME". The Boston Globe. Houlton, Maine. July 28, 1908. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903". GovInfo.gov. U.S. Government Printing Office. November 9, 1903. p. 44. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  4. ^ "History of Pittsfield: Llewellyn Powers". Pittsfield Historical Society. Retrieved November 13, 2014.

  This article incorporates public domain material from Powers, Llewellyn. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links edit

  • Llewellyn Powers at Find a Grave
  • Llewellyn Powers, late a representative from Maine, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1909
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Maine
1896, 1898
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 4th congressional district

March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 4th congressional district

April 8, 1901 – July 28, 1908
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Maine
1897–1901
Succeeded by
Preceded by Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
1895–1896
Succeeded by
Seth L. Larrabee