Portrait of Governor William King
William King (1768-1852) of Bath was Maine’s first governor and a driving force for Maine’s separation from Massachusetts. In 1819, he was president of the convention that drafted the state’s constitution. The convention nominated him for governor. King won that election with an astonishing 21,083 votes out of 22,014 cast.
Maine State Museum Collection 72.19.95 Joe Phelan photo
King was governor for only a year, resigning to unsuccessfully seek a federal position. King was instrumental in bringing the state capital from Portland to Augusta. In addition to his significant early role in shaping Maine government, King was a wealthy businessperson. He organized the first bank in Bath and in 1809 founded Maine’s first cotton mill in Brunswick.