John Fairfield Scamman

John Fairfield Scamman (or Scammon) (October 24, 1786 – May 22, 1858) was a United States Representative from Maine and a long-serving public official in both state and federal capacities. He was born in Wells, then a part of Massachusetts (now in Maine), on October 24, 1786. He attended the common schools of his native region, receiving the basic education typical of the period, and as a young man he entered mercantile pursuits, establishing himself in business and commerce along the southern Maine coast.

Scamman’s early involvement in public life began while Maine was still part of Massachusetts. Reflecting the political structure of the time, he was elected a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1817, representing the interests of his locality in the state legislature. His service coincided with the growing movement for Maine’s separation from Massachusetts, a development that would soon reshape the political landscape of northern New England.

With the creation of the State of Maine in 1820, Scamman continued his legislative career in the newly formed state government. He was elected a member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1820 and again in 1821, participating in the formative years of Maine’s statehood. During this period he remained engaged in mercantile activities, combining his experience in commerce with his responsibilities as a legislator and helping to shape early state policies in a region whose economy depended heavily on trade, shipping, and local industry.

Scamman’s career in federal service began with his appointment as collector of customs at Saco, a significant port on the Maine coast. He held this position from 1829 to 1841, overseeing the administration of customs laws, the collection of duties, and the regulation of maritime commerce at a time when customs revenues were a principal source of federal income. His long tenure in this office reflected both the importance of Saco as a commercial center and the confidence placed in him as an experienced merchant and public official.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing Maine, John Fairfield Scamman contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States Congress. He was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress and served from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847, during a significant period in American history marked by debates over territorial expansion and national finance. While in the House of Representatives, he served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury in the Twenty-ninth Congress, a role that placed him at the center of congressional oversight of federal spending and fiscal administration. In this capacity he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Maine constituents at the national level.

After leaving Congress, Scamman remained active in state politics. He returned to the Maine legislature as a member of the Maine State Senate in 1855, extending a public career that had begun decades earlier under Massachusetts jurisdiction. His service in the Senate came at a time of increasing sectional tension in the United States, and he brought to that body the experience of a former customs official and national legislator.

John Fairfield Scamman died in Saco, Maine, on May 22, 1858. He was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco. His life and career spanned the transition of Maine from a district of Massachusetts to an independent state and reflected a long record of service in local, state, and federal offices, grounded in his early background in mercantile pursuits and his sustained engagement in the political life of his region.