History of Brewer, (Penobscot County) Maine United States of America

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Biographies:

Lewis O. Brastow, educator, was born at Brewer, Me., March 23, 1834. After his graduation at Bowdoin in 1857, and at the Bangor theological school, 1860, he became the pastor of a church at St. Johnsbury, Vt. In 1873 he accepted a call to Burlington, Vt., and the pastoral relation continued until 1885, when he became professor of homiletics in Yale theological seminary. He received the degree of D.D. from Bowdoin in 1880.

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

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, governor of Maine, was born in Brewer, Me., Sept. 8, 1828; son of Joshua Chamberlain, second in command in the Aroostook war; grandson of Joshua Chamberlain, a colonel of the war of 1812. He attended the military academy at Ellsworth, Me., was graduated at Bowdoin in 1852 and at Bangor theological seminary in 1855. He was professor of rhetoric at Bowdoin from 1856 until 1862. In August of the latter year he entered the Union army as lieutenant-colonel of the 20th Maine volunteers, and served continuously in the 1st division of the 5th corps, gaining successive promotion and finally commanding the corps. He was mustered out of service Jan. 10, 1866, as brevet major-general. After having engaged in twenty-four pitched battles, being six times wounded, thrice severely, he received promotion as brigadier-general on the field, and was honored with the direction of the formal surrender of the Confederate forces at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. After the close of the war he resumed his professorship at Bowdoin college, but was elected governor of Maine in 1866, and by three successive re-elections held the office till 1871. On retiring from the governorship, he was elected president of Bowdoin college, and served as such till 1883, in the mean time occupying the chair of mental and moral philosophy, 1874-79. In 1876 he was appointed major-general of Maine militia; in 1878 was a United States commissioner to the Paris exhibition; and till 1885 lectured on public law and political economy in Bowdoin college. He removed to New York city in 1886, when he became interested in railroad affairs and was elected president of the Institute of arts of that city. He received from Pennsylvania college the degree of LL. D. in 1866, and from Bowdoin college the same degree in 1869. He is the author of Maine: Her place in History (1877), and Education in Europe (1879). He was U.S. commissioner of education at Paris in 1900.

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

William Emory Quinby, diplomatist and journalist, was born at Brewer, Maine, Dec. 14, 1835; son of Daniel Franklin and Arazina (Reed) Quinby; grandson of Benjamin Franklin and Phoebe (Larrabee) Quinby, and of Samuel Webb and Sarah (Kidder) Reed, and a descendant of William Quinby, who settled in Connecticut in 1650. He removed with his father to Detroit, Mich., in 1850; attended the literary department of Gregory's Commercial college, Detroit; was graduated from the University of Michigan, A.B., 1858, A.M., 1861, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. He was married, in April, 1860, to Adeline Frazier. As a boy he assisted his father in publishing the Literary Miscellany, and in 1861 obtained employment with the Detroit Free Press, becoming managing-editor in 1863, and general manager, editor-in-chief, and principal owner in 1872. He was U.S. minister to The Netherlands, 1893?97. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by the University of Michigan in 1896.

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

Oliver Cummings Farrington, mineralogist, was born in Brewer, Maine, Oct. 9, 1864; son of Joseph R. and Ellen E. (Holyoke Farrington; and grandson of Oliver and Hannah (Rider) Farrington and of Edward and Melinda (Snow) Holyoke. He was graduated at the University of Maine, B.S., 1881, M.S., 1888. He was teacher of science, Greely institute, Maine, 1882-83; principal and teacher of sciences, Bridgton academy, Maine, 1884-87; tutor in mineralogy at Yale university, 1889-91; assistant in the department of mineralogy, U.S. national museum, Washington, D.C., 1893; curator of geology, Field Columbian museum, Chicago, Ill., from 1894, and lecturer in mineralogy at the University of Chicago from 1895. He was elected a fellow of the Geological society of America in 1895 and a member of the Chicago academy of science in 1895. He was married, Aug. 3, 1896, to Clara Adaline Bradley. He received the degree of Ph.D. from Yale in 1891. In addition to numerous geological and mineralogical papers in scientific journals he published: Handbook of Meteorites (1895); and Observations on Popocatepetl and Ixtaccihuatl (1896).

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