Abner Coburn (March 22, 1803 – January 4, 1885) was the 30th

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

from 1863 to 1864 and a prominent individual in

Skowhegan, Maine Skowhegan () is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,620. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuously-held state fair in the United States. Skowh ...

until his death.

Early years

Coburn was born on a farm in Old Canaan (later renamed to Skowhegan). He was raised with

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

values and worked on his family farm from a young age which lead to him being known as an exceedingly industrious man.

Career

Coburn's family were

Federalists The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters called themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of de ...

and he cast his first vote for president in 1824 for

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...

. He went on to join the Whig Party and was an early member of the

Maine Republican Party The Maine Republican Party is an affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Maine. It was founded in Strong, Maine, on August 7, 1854. The party currently does not control the governor's office or either chamber of the Maine Legislature, ...

. Coburn served three years in the Maine House of Representatives before being elected Governor in 1863. He called for prisoners at the

Maine State Prison The Maine State Prison was erected in Thomaston, Maine in 1824 and relocated to Warren in 2002. This maximum-security prison has a capacity of 916 adult male inmates with an average daily population of 900. History The state legislature establis ...

to be leased to contractors instead of the State itself using them for manufacturing. He became prominent in Skowhegan society, serving as the president of Skowhegan Savings Bank and becoming president and director of the

Maine Central Railroad The Maine Central Railroad Company was a U. S. Class I railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, Maine Central was the longest railroad in New England. Maine Central had expanded to w ...

. He served as the Chair of the

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...

Board of Trustees from 1874 until his death in 1885. He was the uncle of the writer

Louise Helen Coburn Louise Helen Coburn (September 1, 1856—February 7, 1949) was one of the five founders of Sigma Kappa sorority, a pioneer for women's education at Colby College, where she served as the first female trustee, and an accomplished scientist and writer ...

. Many of his historical items can be seen in a museum she began, the Skowhegan History House. Upon his death in 1885, Coburn left to the town of Skowhegan land for a public park. Coburn Park opened in 1907. Abner Coburn's life and achievements as governor were honored with the naming of a

sailing ship A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. There is a variety of sail plans that propel sailing ships, employing square-rigged or fore-and-aft sails. Some ships c ...

.Abner Coburn: Narrative, Dyal 2008

References

The Interesting History of Skowhegan and Abner Coburn

Abner Coburn: Narrative, Dyal 2008
1803 births 1885 deaths Maine lawyers Governors of Maine People from Skowhegan, Maine Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Businesspeople from Maine People of Maine in the American Civil War Union (American Civil War) state governors Republican Party governors of Maine 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American lawyers Maine Whigs {{Maine-politician-stub