Governor Daniel Franklin Davis

DANIEL F. DAVIS, the thirty-seventh governor of Maine, was born in Freedom, Maine on September 12, 1843. His education was attained at the East Corinth Academy, at the Corinna Academy, and at the Wesleyan Seminary in Kent’s Hill, Maine. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1869, and established his legal career in East Corinth. During the Civil War, he enlisted and served as a private in a Maine cavalry regiment. Davis entered politics in 1871, serving as a member of the Maine House of Representatives, a position he held for four years. He also served as a member of the Maine State Senate from 1875 to 1879. In 1879, Davis won the Republican gubernatorial nomination. However, in the general election no candidate received a vote plurality. Consequently, the Legislature was called upon to decide who would serve as governor. They named Davis as the legal governor. He was sworn into office on January 17, 1880. During his tenure, the enforcement of the prohibition law was contested. After running unsuccessfully for reelection, Davis left office on January 13, 1881. He later served as the collector of the port of Bangor from 1882 to 1886. Governor Daniel F. Davis passed away on January 9, 1897.