Stephen Coburn
Encyclopedia
Stephen Coburn was a Democratic
member of the United States House of Representatives
from Maine
.
He was brother to Maine Governor Abner Coburn
and the father of Louise Helen Coburn
, the founder of Sigma Kappa
Sorority and a prominent Maine writer.
Coburn was born in Bloomfield, now known as Skowhegan
. He graduated from Colby College
in Waterville
in 1839 and after teaching at a plantation school for two years, he attended Harvard Law School
and became a prominent lawyer in his native state.
He was elected to the 36th Congress
in a special election on November 6, 1860 and served from January 2 to March 3, 1861. The election for the 37th Congress
had actually been held in September of the previous year, so he could not be re-elected. Coburn served as a delegate from Maine to the peace convention in 1861 in Washington, D.C.
Coburn resumed his law practice, eventually becoming postmaster
of Skowhegan. He died in the Kennebec River
in 1882. He is interred in South Cemetery in Skowhegan.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Maine
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 brother to Maine Governor Abner Coburn
Abner Coburn
Abner Coburn was the 30th Governor of Maine from 1863 to 1864 and a prominent individual in Skowhegan, Maine until his death....
and the father of Louise Helen Coburn
Louise Helen Coburn
Louise Helen Coburn was one of the five founders of Sigma Kappa sorority, a pioneer for women's education at Colby College, where she served as the first female trustee, and an accomplished scientist and writer known for writing the two volumes of "Skowhegan on the Kennebec."She was the niece of...
, the founder of Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
Sorority and a prominent Maine writer.
Coburn was born in Bloomfield, now known as Skowhegan
Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 8,824. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuous state fair in the United States...
. He graduated from Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
in Waterville
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
in 1839 and after teaching at a plantation school for two years, he attended Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
and became a prominent lawyer in his native state.
He was elected to the 36th Congress
36th United States Congress
The Thirty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859 to March 4, 1861, during the third and fourth...
in a special election on November 6, 1860 and served from January 2 to March 3, 1861. The election for the 37th Congress
37th United States Congress
The Thirty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861 to March 4, 1863, during the first two...
had actually been held in September of the previous year, so he could not be re-elected. Coburn served as a delegate from Maine to the peace convention in 1861 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Coburn resumed his law practice, eventually becoming postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Skowhegan. He died in the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
in 1882. He is interred in South Cemetery in Skowhegan.