Frederick A. Powers
Frederick A. Powers | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Powers, c. 1900 | |
| Maine Attorney General | |
| In office 1893–1897 | |
| Preceded by | Charles E. Littlefield |
| Succeeded by | William T. Haines |
| Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court | |
| In office January 2, 1900 – March 21, 1907 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew P. Wiswell |
| Succeeded by | Leslie C. Cornish |
| Member of the Maine House of Representatives | |
| In office 1885–1888 | |
| Member of the Maine Senate | |
| In office 1891–1892 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frederick Alton Powers June 19, 1855 |
| Died | February 13, 1923 (aged 67) |
| Relations | Llewellyn Powers (brother) |
| Children | 2, including Paul |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer, judge |
Frederick Alton Powers (June 19, 1855 – February 13, 1923) was an American politician, lawyer, and judge. He was the Maine Attorney General from 1893 to 1897 and a Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from 1900 to 1907.
Biography
Powers was born on June 19, 1855, in Pittsfield, Maine, to Arba Powers and Naomi (née Mathews) Powers.[1] He was the youngest of eight brothers,[2] five of whom were lawyers and politicians, including his brother Llewellyn.[3] He graduated from Maine Central Institute and Bowdoin College, in 1871 and 1875, respectively.[1][3] He read law under his brother Llewellyn and was admitted to the bar in September 1876.[3]
Powers was a member of the Republican Party,[4] and was a delegate to the 1888 Republican National Convention.[1] For six years, he was a member of the Maine Republican Committee.[2] He served in the Maine House of Representatives from 1885 to 1888,[1] serving as Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary during his second term.[2] From 1891 to 1892, he was a member of the Maine Senate.[3] Llewellyn appointed him an Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court[2] on January 2, 1900. He resigned on March 21, 1907,[5] after which he was succeeded by Leslie C. Cornish.[6] In 1910, he unsuccessfully ran for the United States Senate.[7]
On January 6, 1879, Powers married May Hussey.[1] Hussey died in 1901, after which he married Virginia H. Hewes.[2] He had two children, including politician Paul H. Powers.[8] He lived in Houlton[1] and owned approximately 60,000 acres of land[9] and was one of the largest landowners of Maine woodlands.[2]
Powers died on February 13, 1923, aged 67, at his winter home in St. Petersburg, Florida.[5] He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery, in Houlton, with a cenotaph of him located at Tilton Corner Cemetery, in Pittsfield.[4] In 1932, a court case regarding his estate was settled.[10] A special collection with Powers' papers is held by the Maine State Archives.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Who's who in America. Chicago, Marquis Who's Who, inc., [etc.] 1900. p. 928.
- ^ a b c d e f "Judge Fred'k A. Powers of Maine Dies in Florida". Sun Journal. 14 February 1923. p. 14. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ a b c d "Frederick Alton Powers, Houlton, ca. 1900". Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ a b "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Powers". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ^ a b "Justice Frederick A. Powers". The New York Times. 1923-02-15. p. 19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ^ "Justice Frederick A. Powers Resigns". Sun Journal. 21 March 1907. p. 10. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ "Judge Frederick A. Powers, Candidate For U.S. Senate". Sun Journal. 30 April 1910. p. 13. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ "Former Judge Powers Dies in Florida". Portland Press Herald. 15 February 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ The New England Magazine (1896), Volume 19, page 71.
- ^ "Justice Dunn Rules in Favor of Geo. Powes". Commercial. 5 February 1932. p. 13. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ "Frederick A. Powers (1893-1896)". archives.maine.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-15.