Eleazer Burbank (Before April 1793 – March 30, 1867) was a 19th-century American

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

legislator A legislator (also known as a deputy or lawmaker) is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people of the state. Legislatures may be supra-national (for ex ...

in the

State of Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

Early life and education

Burbank was born in 1793 in

Scarborough, Maine Scarborough is a New England town, town in Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County on the southern coast of the U.S. state of Maine. The town is a coastal resort area. Located about south of Portland, Maine, Portland, Scarborough is part of t ...

(then part of

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

),''Transactions of the Maine Medical Association'', Volume 12, Maine Medical Association (1897), p. 425 to Samuel Baird Burbank and Esther Boothby, one of their many children. They were married on August 7, 1791, at the Second Congregational Church in Scarborough. He studied as an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

, in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of Eng ...

, and walked the for his first day there. After obtaining an

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, he returned to Poland, Maine, to set up practice in 1816.

Career

In 1838, after 22 years working in Poland, he took over the practice of Dr.

Gad Hitchcock Gad Hitchcock (April 18, 1788 – November 17, 1837) was a 19th-century American physician. He was a fellow of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Early life and education Hitchcock was born on April 18, 1788, in Pembroke, Massachusetts, to Gad ...

, who died the previous year, at what is now known as the Mitchell House at today's 333 Main Street in

Yarmouth, Maine Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, twelve miles north of the state's largest city, Portland. When originally settled in 1636, as North Yarmouth, it was part of Massachusetts, and remained as such for 213 years. In 1849, ...

. Its original owner, another physician,

Ammi Ruhamah Mitchell Ammi Ruhamah Mitchell (May 8, 1762 – May 14, 1824) was an 18th- and 19th-century American physician. He also served ten years in the Massachusetts Legislature. Early life and education Mitchell was born on May 8, 1762, in North Yarmouth, Maine ...

(1762–1824), died "suddenly", aged 62. Burbank practiced on Main Street for the next 29 years, until his death. In 1847, Burbank founded the North Yarmouth Manufacturing Company at

Sparhawk Mill __NOTOC__ Sparhawk Mill is a former cotton mill on Bridge Street in Yarmouth, Maine, United States. Built in 1840 and made of brick, it is home today to The Garrison restaurant (owned by Christian Hayes) and several other businesses. It stands, j ...

in Yarmouth. The mill produced yarn and cloth.

Personal life

Burbank married Sophronia Ricker in 1822, with whom he had two known children:

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

, in 1823, and Esther, four years later. Between 1857 and 1858, he was a Maine state

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. Burbank was also a deacon at Yarmouth's

First Parish Congregational Church The First Parish Congregational Church is a historic church at 116 Main Street in Yarmouth, Maine. The congregation was established in 1730, as the ninth church founded in what is now Maine. The current Italianate meeting house was constructed ...

for sixteen years.

Death

Burbank died on March 30, 1867, aged 74. His funeral was held at the First Parish on April 23, officiated by pastor George Augustus Putnam.''A Bibliography of the State of Maine from the Earliest Period to 1891'', Volume 2, Joseph Williamson (1896), p. 336 He is interred in Yarmouth's Riverside Cemetery, although the cemetery was not officially established for two more years.''Ancient North Yarmouth and Yarmouth, Maine 1636-1936: A History'', William Hutchinson Rowe (1937)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burbank, Eleazer 1793 births 1867 deaths People from Poland, Maine People from Scarborough, Maine People from North Yarmouth, Maine People from Yarmouth, Maine Physicians from Maine 19th-century American physicians Dartmouth College alumni Harvard College alumni Maine state senators