Governor Samuel Cony

SAMUEL CONY, the thirty-first governor of Maine, was born in Augusta, Maine on February 27, 1811. His education was attained at the China Academy, at Wakefield College, and at Brown University, where he graduated in 1829. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1832, and established a successful legal career, serving as a judge of Probate Court for Penobscot County from 1840 to 1846. Cony entered politics in 1835, serving as a Democratic member of the Maine House of Representatives, a position he held until 1836. He also served as a member of the governor’s executive council in 1839, was the land agent for Maine from 1847 to 1850, was the state treasurer of Maine from 1850 to 1854, and served as mayor of Augusta in 1854. After joining the Republican Party in 1862, he won reelection to one term in the Maine House of Representatives. Cony won the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote in 1863. He was reelected to a second term in 1864 and to a third term in 1865. During his tenure, troops and provisions were raised for the war effort, and 1,400 commissions were issued. After completing his term, Cony left office on January 2, 1867, and retired from public service. Governor Samuel Cony passed away on October 5, 1870.