Cumberland County, Maine - Llewellyn Barton
**********************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any
format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons
or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact
the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.
The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file
permanently for free access. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb

This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:
C. Wendland SilverDrusilla@aol.com
Copyright (c) 2004 by C. Wendland
Caitlin's Gold Award Project, Girl Scouts USA, Rio Grande Girl Scout Council, El
Paso, Texas
**********************************************************************

Biography
Llewellyn Barton
Biographical Review
Cumberland County, Maine
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1896
Page 74-75

Llewellyn Barton, attorney and counsellor-at-law, of Portland, Me., is one of
that large class of men in this country who owe their success in life to self-
reliance and a determination to make the most of their opportunities. He was
born at Naples, Cumberland County, Me., November 24, 1854. His early life was
spent upon a farm. At the age of fifteen years he became an apprentice to the
carpenter's trade, which occupation he afterward more or less regularly followed
for twenty years. He graduated from Bridgton Academy, North Bridgton, Me., in
1880, and from Bowdoin College in 1884. While studying in these institutions, he
met his expenses, with the aid of a scholarship, by teaching school in winter
and working at his trade in summer. In college he always took an active part in
literary and athletic exercises. He was one of the founders and supporters of
the Bowdoin Literary Association. He received several awards for oratorical and
literary excellence in speaking and writing; was President of his college
fraternity, member of the college jury, member of King Chapel choir and the
college quartette, and one of the editors of the Bowdoin Orient. His defence,
while a Sophomore, at an indignation meeting of the students, of a luckless
Freshman, charged with a misdemeanor, was an early indication of the
independence and moral courage that have since distinguished him. The whilom
freshman is now one of the editors of a prominent daily of this State, and his
pen is as caustic as of yore.

In the fall of 1885 Mr. Barton began the study of law with the well-known firm
of Nathan & Henry B. Cleaves, of Portland, where he remained two years. Just
before being admitted to the bar, he accepted, in August, 1887, the
principalship of Bridgton Academy for two years. He remained there five years,
during which the school was never more prosperous. In the winter of 1890,
through his efforts and the generous contributions of two wealthy alumni, the
grounds were enlarged and beautified. The school buildings were remodelled and
enlarged, and the faculty was increased, and the courses of study improved at a
cost of nearly two thousand dollars. The plans, specifications, and labor, were
all furnished by Mr. Barton, he being the contractor. Designing to resume the
study of the law, he resigned the principalship. In the following August he was
elected a Trustee of the academy.

He was admitted to the Cumberland bar at Portland in April, 1893. Before this he
had the unique distinction of having been permitted by the presiding judge, who
afterward examined him for admission, to conduct a case in the Supreme Court.
Immediately after his admission he became associated in the practice of law with
General Charles P. Mattocks at 31 1-2 Exchange Street, Portland. His first cases
involved questions, which the court had not adjudicated. In a brief time after
this he won reputation and standing by conducting several well-known legal
contests. One of the most important of these was that which arose out of the
famous Naples school controversy, and involved the interpretation of the new
school law for the first time, and was of such interest that the whole State
awaited the decision of the court of last resort, whereby the position of Mr.
Barton and his associate was sustained in every particular.

Mr. Barton married September 19, 1894, Miss Grace Luette Newman, of Portland.
They reside at 122 Free Street, Portland, Me. Both are regular attendants of the
State Street Congregational Church, of which Mrs. Barton is a member. Mr. Barton
is a member of Cumberland Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Bridgton,
Me., and also of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity. Mr. Barton has always been
interested in educational matters; and in his brief respites from school work he
found time to compile and publish several books for use in public schools, his
most ambitious work of this kind being an "Algebraic Review," quite extensively
used. In politics Mr. Barton has been a Democrat from his youth, and has filled
various public offices in his native town. In the fall of 1884, immediately
after his graduation from college, he was elected Representative to the State
legislature from the district including the towns of Naples, Raymond, and
Sebago. On that occasion he received a letter from President Joshua L.
Chamberlain, of Bowdoin, congratulating him upon his election and predicting for
him in politics a notable future, which would doubtless have been realized had
not the community and State been so strongly Republican. During his term he
served on the Committee of Mines and Mining and the Joint Temperance Committee.
He took a conspicuous part in the discussions of the house, proving himself a
ready and effective debater. He drafted the original Druggists' Bill, so called,
which lacked only a few votes of passing the house, although the dominant party
were very bitter against any temperance laws, on account of St. John's movement
in the national campaign in 1884. At the close of the session Mr. Barton was
chosen to present the customary vote of thanks to the Speaker on behalf of the
minority.

In 1888 Mr. Barton was the party candidate for Registrar of Deeds for Cumberland
County, and in 1890 for Registrar of Probate in the same county. In 1891 he was
chosen Chairman of the Board of Selectmen for the town of Bridgton, a town which
had been steadily Republican by a large majority for thirty years. In 1892 he
was the Democratic candidate for Representative to the legislature from the same
town, and lacked only twenty-six votes of election, running far ahead of his
ticket. At the opening of the legislature in 1894, he was the Democratic
candidate for State Assessor, the only office he ever sought, and lacked only
eight votes of election. For the past few years he has taken an active part in
every State and national campaign, speaking in various parts of the State. In
1893 he became Secretary of the Young Men's Democratic Club of Portland. He
declined a reelection to this office, having been chosen at the State Convention
in June, 1893, a member of the State Committee for Cumberland County, a capacity
in which he still serves. His political methods have always been clean, if
aggressive; and he has uniformly commanded the respect of his political
opponents.