Cumberland County, Maine - Simon B. Guthrie
**********************************************************************
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) 2005 by C. Wendland
Caitlin's Gold Award Project, Girl Scouts USA, Rio Grande Girl Scout Council,
El Paso, Texas
**********************************************************************

Biography
Simon B. Guthrie
Biographical Review
Cumberland County, Maine
Boston
Biographical Review Publishing Company
1896
Page 366


Simon B. Guthrie, shoe manufacturer of Gorham, Cumberland County, Me., was born
in Gorham, December 10, 1853, son of Michael and Mary (Fitzpatrick) Guthrie. He
is of an ancient Scottish family, the name Guthrie having been prominent in
Scotland as early as the thirteenth century.

Mr. Guthrie's grandfather, who was born in Scotland, was for some years a farmer
in the south of Ireland; and in that country his children - four sons and a
daughter - were born. Michael Guthrie, the father of Simon B., was the youngest of
this family. He was born in 1800, and emigrated to America when a young. man,
making a short stay in Portland, Me., and then settling in Gorham. He died in
this town in 1883, at the age of eightythree. His wife, who was of Irish birth,
became the mother of ten children - Bridget, Daniel, Thomas, Roger, Simon B.,
Mary, James, Catherine, Michael, and Elizabeth, eight of whom are now living.

Simon B. Guthrie grew to manhood in Gorham, acquiring his elementary education
inn the public schools. When a boy he met with a peculiar accident, which was
the occasion of a triumph of surgery considered very remarkable at the time. He
injured the knee-pan in such a way that he was unable to walk for six months;
and when he did get about the limb was crooked, and he was quite lame for seven
years. Dr. H. H. Hunt then performed an operation, the ninth of the kind in the
records of surgery, which fully straightened the limb and restored its strength.
In 1868 he started to learn the shoemaker's trade, and on finish his
apprenticeship entered Gray's Business College in Portland, Me. On finishing his
course of study, he worked for a while at currying leather and then for two
years at shoemaking. In 1877 he formed a copartnership with John S. Leavitt,
Jr., of Gorham, under the firm name of Leavitt & Guthrie; and in the spring of
1878 his brother Daniel took Mr. Leavitt's place, changing the name of the
company to D. & S. B. Guthrie. This partnership lasted two years; and then Simon
.Guthrie purchased his brother's interest in the business, of which he has been
sole proprietor ever since. He carries a full line of footwear for men and
women, and does fine custom work and also repairing.

June 1, 1881, Mr. Guthrie was united to Margaret E. Manning, a native of
Augusta, Me. Two children have blessed their union - Roger Hunt and Annie
Elizabeth.

Mr. Guthrie takes an active part in politics, and is one of the leading
Democrats of Gorham. He has been Secretary and Treasurer of the Democratic Town
Committee, and has been nominated by his party for the several town offices. He
was appointed Postmaster, April 3, 1893, by President Cleveland, and was elected
one of Gorham's Village Corporation Assessors in May, 1895. He is a member of
Dirigo Lodge, No. 21, Knights of Pythias, of Gorham, of which he has filled all
the chairs, and is one of the Trustees. In religious affiliation he is a
Catholic. He is a representative citizen of Gorham, honest and painstaking in
his business contracts and always interested in the public welfare.