Shepard Cary

Shepard Cary (July 3, 1805 – August 9, 1866) was a U.S. Representative from Maine and a long-serving member of the Maine Legislature whose career reflected the economic and political development of northern Maine in the mid-nineteenth century. He was born in New Salem, Massachusetts, on July 3, 1805, where he attended the common schools. In 1822 he moved with his parents to Houlton, Maine, then a frontier community near the border with New Brunswick, Canada. There he established himself as a prominent local figure through his involvement in the region’s principal economic activities.

In Houlton, Cary engaged in extensive lumber operations, taking advantage of the vast timber resources of northern Maine. He also pursued agricultural and mercantile enterprises, building a diversified business base that tied him closely to the economic life of Aroostook County. His success in these endeavors contributed to his standing in the community and provided a platform for his entry into public service. As Houlton and the surrounding area developed, Cary’s experience in commerce and land-based industries informed his approach to state and national issues, particularly those affecting transportation, trade, and local regulation.

Cary began his political career in the Maine House of Representatives, where he served multiple, nonconsecutive terms over three decades. He was first elected to the House in 1832 and 1833, and then again from 1839 to 1842, 1848, 1849, and 1862. His repeated returns to the lower chamber underscored his continuing influence in state politics and his sustained support among constituents in northern Maine. In addition to his service in the House, Cary was elected to the Maine State Senate in 1843 and again from 1850 to 1853, giving him experience in both legislative bodies and a significant role in shaping state policy during a period of growth and political realignment.

At the national level, Cary was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress to fill a vacancy, representing Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives. He took his seat on May 10, 1844, and served until March 3, 1845. His brief tenure in Congress occurred during the administration of President John Tyler and at a time when issues such as territorial expansion, trade, and sectional tensions were increasingly prominent in national debate. Although he served only a single term, his election marked the high point of his federal political career and extended his influence beyond state politics.

After leaving Congress, Cary remained active in Maine’s political life and in the public controversies of his day. In 1854 he was the Liberal (anti-Maine Law) candidate for governor, opposing the state’s pioneering prohibition statute known as the Maine Law. This Liberal designation, not to be confused with the contemporaneous Liberty Party, reflected a coalition critical of statewide prohibition and its social and economic implications. His candidacy in this contest illustrated his willingness to challenge prevailing reform movements when he believed they conflicted with local interests or individual liberties, and it placed him in the midst of one of Maine’s most contentious political issues of the era.

Cary continued to reside in Houlton, where he maintained his business interests and local standing while periodically returning to legislative service, including his final term in the Maine House of Representatives in 1862 during the early years of the Civil War. He died in Houlton, Maine, on August 9, 1866. Shepard Cary was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in Houlton, leaving a legacy as a businessman-legislator whose long public career linked the economic development of northern Maine with the evolving political landscape of the state and nation in the antebellum and Civil War periods.