Alonzo Garcelon

Alonzo M. Garcelon (born May 6, 1813 in Lewiston , Massachusetts , † December 8, 1906 in Medford , Massachusetts) was an American politician and governor of the state of Maine from 1879 to 1880 .

Early years and political advancement

Born in present-day Maine, Alonzo Garcelon attended several schools before graduating from Bowdoin College in 1836 . In 1839 he studied medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and the Medical College of Ohio . He then began practicing as a doctor in Lewiston.

In 1853, and again from 1857 to 1858, the Democrat Garcelon was a member of the House of Representatives from Maine . In between he sat in the State Senate from 1855 to 1856 . During the civil war he was used as a military doctor. In 1871 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Congress . Instead, he became mayor of Lewiston that year.

Governor of Maine

For the gubernatorial elections of 1878 he was nominated as his party's candidate. In the absence of an absolute majority in the election, the Maine legislature had to elect the governor. They chose Garcelon. During his tenure there was a dispute over election fraud in the parliamentary elections. The governor accused the Republicans of manipulation. Republican Senator James G. Blaine appeared with several hundred armed men to protest the allegations. For his part, the governor mobilized the National Guard and a kind of civil war almost broke out, which could only be prevented through the mediation of ex-governor Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain .

After the attempt at re-election in 1879 failed, Garcelon had to leave office in January 1880. In 1883 he was re-elected mayor of Lewiston. He then practiced as a doctor again and was involved in the American Medical Association . Alonzo Garcelon died on December 8, 1906 and was buried in Lewiston. He was married twice and had a total of five children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Garcelon, Alonzo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Garcelon, Alonzo M.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician, governor of Maine (1879–1880)
DATE OF BIRTH	May 6, 1813
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lewiston , Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH	December 8, 1906
Place of death	Medford , Massachusetts