Ebenezer Herrick

Ebenezer Herrick (October 21, 1785 – May 7, 1839) was a U.S. Representative from Maine and the father of future Congressman Anson Herrick. He was born in Lewiston, in what was then the District of Maine, part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Raised in a New England community where formal schooling was limited, he attended the common schools, receiving the basic education typical of the period.

After his early schooling, Herrick pursued the study of law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced legal practice in Bowdoinham, Maine. In addition to his work as an attorney, he engaged in mercantile pursuits from 1814 to 1818, reflecting the blend of professional and commercial activity common among early nineteenth-century New England lawyers. His involvement in both law and business helped establish his standing in the community and laid the groundwork for his entry into public life.

Herrick’s political career began under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, before Maine achieved statehood. He served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1819, representing the interests of his district while Maine was still a district of Massachusetts. As the movement for Maine’s separation gained momentum, he participated in one of the most significant political developments of the region: in 1820 he served as a member of the convention that framed the first constitution of the State of Maine, contributing to the foundational legal and governmental structure of the new state. The following year, in 1821, he served as Secretary of the Maine Senate, an administrative and parliamentary role that placed him at the center of the new state’s legislative operations.

Herrick entered national politics soon after Maine’s admission to the Union. He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Seventeenth Congress and took his seat on March 4, 1821. As national political alignments shifted in the wake of the decline of the Democratic-Republican Party, he was elected as an Adams-Clay Republican to the Eighteenth Congress and was reelected as an Adams candidate to the Nineteenth Congress, serving continuously from March 4, 1821, to March 3, 1827. As a member of the Adams Party representing Maine, Ebenezer Herrick contributed to the legislative process during three terms in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by debates over internal improvements, economic policy, and the evolving balance between federal and state authority. Within this context, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Maine constituents in the U.S. House of Representatives.

After three consecutive terms, Herrick declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1826. Returning to state-level service, he became a member of the Maine Senate, continuing his involvement in public affairs and legislative work. His experience at both the state and national levels reflected the trajectory of many early nineteenth-century New England politicians who moved between local, state, and federal responsibilities as the new institutions of the republic matured.

Ebenezer Herrick spent his later years in Maine. He died in Lewiston on May 7, 1839. He was interred in the Old Herrick Burying Ground, a family burial place that underscored his longstanding ties to the region where he had been born, practiced law, engaged in commerce, and built a career in public service.