Samuel P. Benson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Page Benson was a United States Representative from Maine
. He was born in Winthrop on November 28, 1804. He received instruction from private teachers and attended the Monmouth Academy of Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College
in 1825. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Unity
. He returned to Winthrop and practiced law until 1850.
He was a railroad builder, and was secretary of the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad (later the Maine Central Railroad
). Benson was elected member of the Maine House of Representatives
, and served in the Maine State Senate. He was elected Maine Secretary of State
in 1838 and in 1841. He was an overseer of Bowdoin College 1838–1876 and president of the board for sixteen years. He served as chairman of the Winthop board of selectmen
1844–1848. Benson was elected as a Whig
to the Thirty-third Congress and as an Opposition Party
member to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1857). He was chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs (Thirty-fourth Congress).
He was not a candidate for reelection in 1856. Benson resumed the practice of law, and died in Yarmouth
on August 12, 1876. His interment in Maple Cemetery in Winthrop.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. He was born in Winthrop on November 28, 1804. He received instruction from private teachers and attended the Monmouth Academy of Maine. He graduated from Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in 1825. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Unity
Unity, Maine
Unity is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,889 at the 2000 census. The town is the service center for the northern portion of Waldo County...
. He returned to Winthrop and practiced law until 1850.
He was a railroad builder, and was secretary of the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad (later the Maine Central Railroad
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
). Benson was elected member of the Maine House of Representatives
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
, and served in the Maine State Senate. He was elected Maine Secretary of State
Secretary of State of Maine
The Secretary of State of Maine is elected by the Legislature in that U.S. state. The Maine Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, the Maine State Archives, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and for chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to no more than two...
in 1838 and in 1841. He was an overseer of Bowdoin College 1838–1876 and president of the board for sixteen years. He served as chairman of the Winthop board of selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
1844–1848. Benson was elected as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to the Thirty-third Congress and as an Opposition Party
Opposition Party (United States)
The Opposition Party in the United States is a label with two different applications in Congressional history, as a majority party in Congress 1854-58, and as a Third Party in the South 1858-1860....
member to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1857). He was chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs (Thirty-fourth Congress).
He was not a candidate for reelection in 1856. Benson resumed the practice of law, and died in Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Maine
Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland. Its population was 8,349 at the 2010 census....
on August 12, 1876. His interment in Maple Cemetery in Winthrop.