History of Gorham, (Cumberland County) Maine United States of America

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Biographies:

James Phinney Baxter, philanthropist, was born at Gorham, Me., March 23, 1831. He received his early education in the schools of Portland, at an academy at Lynn, Mass., and finished his studies under private tutors. Abandoning his intention to enter the legal profession, he engaged in mercantile enterprises which proved successful, and his wealth enabled him to gratify his philanthropic spirit. He organized and was the first president of the associated charities of Portland, of the Portland society of art, and of the Gorges publication society; and he built and donated to the city its public library building, in which the Maine historical society has accommodations for its library and collections. He accepted many offices of trust, including trustee of the Portland savings bank, vice-president of the Portland trust company, president of Merchants national bank, one of the board of overseers of Bowdoin college, president of the Maine historical society, the Portland public library, and the Portland publishing company. Throughout his active business life he found time to devote to study and authorship. His early contributions were to the New York Home Journal and other first-class publications. He became widely known as a lecturer, and several poems delivered by him on public occasions were widely published, including one delivered in 1882, on the occasion of the celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the birth of the poet Longfellow by the Maine historical society, and another on the celebration of the eighty-fourth anniversary of the birth of the venerable Professor Packard, Longfellow's tutor, at Bowdoin college. In 1889, on the occasion of the centennial celebration by the city of Portland of the adoption of the Federal constitution, he delivered the oration. At the World's congress in Chicago in 1893, he read before the American historical association a paper on "The Present Status of Pre-Columbian Discovery," which elicited warm commendation. He was elected mayor of the city of Portland in 1893, and to his administration Portland owes her model high school building, the introduction of manual training into her public schools, and many important reforms in municipal management. In 1881 Bowdoin college conferred upon him the honorary degree of A.M. His published books include: "Idyls of the Year, Poems" (1884); "George Cleeve and His Times" (1885); "The British Invasion from the North" (1887); "Documentary History of Maine" (1889); "Sir Ferdinando Gorges and His Province of Maine" (1890); "Christopher Levitt, the Pioneer Colonist of Casco Bay" (1893), and "The Pioneers of New France in New England" (1894).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Stephen Longfellow, lawyer, was born in Gorham, Maine, March 23, 1776; son of Stephen and Patience (Young) Longfellow; grandson of Stephen and Tabitha (Brougham) Longfellow, and a descendant of William Longfellow, of Hosforth, England, who settled in Newbury, Mass., about 1675, where he was married, Nov. 10, 1678, to Annie, daughter of Henry and Jane (Dummer) Sewall. Stephen Longfellow spent his early youth on his father's farm, and was graduated from Harvard in 1798. He studied law with Salmon Chase of Portland, Maine; was admitted to the bar in 1801, and settled in Portland, Maine, where he soon gained a good practice. He was married, Jan. 1, 1804, to Zilpah, daughter of General Peleg and Elisabeth (Bartlett) Wadsworth of Portland. He was a representative to the general court of Massachusetts, 1814-15, and a delegate to the Hartford convention, Dec. 15, 1814?Jan. 5, 1815. He was a presidential elector in 1816, and cast his vote for Rufus King. He was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1819; a Federalist representative in the 18th congress, 1823-25, and represented his district in the Maine legislature in 1826. He was an overseer of Bowdoin college, 1811-17, was a trustee, 1817-36, and received the degree of LL.D. from that college in 1828. He was recording secretary of the Maine Historical society, 1825-30, and its president in 1834. He compiled sixteen volumes of Massachusetts and twelve of Maine Reports. He died in Portland, Maine, Aug. 3, 1849.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Dana Estes, publisher, was born in Gorham, Maine, March 4, 1840; son of Joseph and Maria (Edwards) Estes, and a descendant through Joseph, Robert, Samuel, Henry and Benjamin, from Richard (son of Robert Estes of Dover, England), who landed in Boston, Mass., Sept. 27, 1684, and settled at Piscataqua, Oct. 11, 1684. Dana was educated in the public schools, and was a clerk in a general store in Augusta, Maine, 1855-59. He engaged in the book business with Henry D. Degen & Son in Boston, 1859-61. He served in the Union army from April, 1861, until the second battle of Bull Run, Aug. 31, 1862, when his only brother. Albert S. Estes, was killed, and where he was disabled from further service. He reentered the book business as a clerk in 1864, and in 1866 became a member of the firm of Degen, Estes & Co. He was subsequently connected with the house of Lee & Shepard, until 1872, when he became a partner in the firm of Estes & Lauriat, which was succeeded by Dana Estes & Co., of which he was the head in 1898. He was elected a member of the American association for the advancement of science; of the American arch?cological institute and of various social and literary clubs. He received the degree of A.M. from Bowdoin college in 1898. He was married April 11, 1867, to Louise S., daughter of Peter and Mary (Filgate) Reid of England, and their sons, Frederick Reid, Dana Jr., and Philip Sydney, became interested in the publishing business. Mr. Estes' second wife, to whom he was married Nov. 10, 1884, was Grace D., daughter of Samuel E. and Charlotte Haven (Ladd) Coues of Portsmouth, N.H. He edited Half-Hour Recreations in Popular Science, and compiled several volumes of juvenile and standard poetry.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George Lewis Prentiss, educator, was born in Gorham, Maine, May 12, 1816, son of Capt. William and Abigail (Lewis) Prentiss and grandson of Maj. George Lewis and of Samuel and Rebecca (Cook) Prentiss. He was gradated from Bowdoin college, A.B., 1835. A.M., 1838; was assistant at Gorham academy, 1835-36; attended the universities of Halle and Berlin, 1839-41, and was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in 1845. He was married in 1845 to Elizabeth Payson . He was pastor of the South Trinitarian church, New Bedford, Mass., 1845-50; of the Mercer Street Presbyterian church, New York city, 1851-58; of the Church of the Covenant, New York city, 1862-73; proposer of pastoral theology, church polity, and mission work at Union Theological seminary, 1873-97 and was made professor emeritus in 1897. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by Bowdoin college in 1854. He is the author of: Our National Bane (1877); The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss (1882); Sixty Years of Union Seminary (1889); The Agreement Between Union Seminary and the General Assembly (1891); The Problem of the Veto Power (1892); Another Decade of Union Seminary (1899); and memoirs of Sergeant S. Prentiss (1855), and Thomas Harvey Skinner (1871).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor