WHEREAS, William King was born on February 9, 1768, in Scarborough, Massachusetts; and

WHEREAS, the fourth of six children, King lacked a formal education but acquired a great interest in many subjects, including history, politics, geography, and medical science; and

WHEREAS, after working on the family farm and in various mills, King moved to Topsham where he later began his public service career with his election in 1795 to represent the town in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, a position he held again from 1803 to 1806; and

WHEREAS, King went on to represent Lincoln County in the Massachusetts Senate from 1807 to 1811, and again in 1816, before leading the Separation Movement from Massachusetts and presiding over the District of Maine's constitutional convention in 1819; and

WHEREAS, in 1820, King was elected by popular vote as Maine's first Governor, but resigned from the office in May 1821 after he was chosen by President James Monroe to work on treaty negotiations with Spain; and

WHEREAS, King was also a farmer, businessman, and entrepreneur who owned a sawmill and Maine's first cotton mill, built at least 14 ships, and owned or was a partner in more than 35 merchant vessels active in trade; and

WHEREAS, King made many contributions to the town of Bath, where he moved in 1800 with his wife Ann, including establishing the South Church, founding the Bath Bank, serving as the Collector of Customs at Bath, and as trustee and overseer of Bowdoin College and trustee of Colby College; and

WHEREAS, William King died on June 17, 1852, and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Bath alongside his wife and two children; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with 1 MRSA § 150-F, the state designates March 16 of each year as Governor William King Day;

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby proclaim March 16, 2026 as

Governor William King Day

throughout the State of Maine, and I urge all citizens to recognize this observation.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this tenth day of March Two Thousand Twenty-Six