View source for Obadiah Gardner

{{Short description|American politician (1852–1938)}}

{{Infobox Senator
| name                =Obadiah Gardner
| image               =GARDNER, OBEDIAH. SENATOR LCCN2016858132 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize           =
| jr/sr               =United States Senator
| state               =[[Maine]]
| term_start          =September 23, 1911
| term_end            =March 3, 1913
| preceded            =[[William P. Frye]]
| succeeded           =[[Edwin C. Burleigh]]
| birth_date          =September 13, 1852
| birth_place         =near [[Port Huron, Michigan]]
| death_date          ={{death date and age|1938|7|24|1852|9|13}}
| death_place         =[[Augusta, Maine]]
| nationality         =
| party               =[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| otherparty          =
| spouse              =
| partner             =
| relations           =
| children            =
| residence           =
| alma_mater          =[[Eastman Business College]]<br>Coburn Classical Institute
| occupation          =
| profession          =
| signature           =
| website             =
| footnotes           =
}}

'''Obadiah Gardner''' (September 13, 1852{{spaced ndash}}July 24, 1938) was an [[Politics of the United States|American politician]] from the [[U.S. state]] of [[Maine]]. Gardner was a businessman and member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] who served in several minor state executive positions before serving in the [[United States Senate]].

==Biography==
Gardner was born near [[Port Huron, Michigan|Port Huron]], [[Michigan]]. In 1864 at the age of 12, he moved with his parents to [[Union, Maine|Union]], [[Maine]], where he attended [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]]. He studied at [[Eastman Business College]] in [[Poughkeepsie (city), New York|Poughkeepsie]], [[New York (state)|New York]] and later at the [[Coburn Classical Institute]] in [[Waterville, Maine|Waterville]], Maine. After graduating he engaged in the [[Agribusiness|agriculture business]], including ventures in [[lumber]], [[Lime (mineral)|lime]], and [[Creamery|creameries]] in [[Rockland, Maine|Rockland]] and cattle raising elsewhere.

[[File:MrsObadiah Gardner 1911 12 14.jpg|thumb|70px|His wife in 1911]]
He was a member of the Maine Board of Agriculture and later the master of the Maine State Grange (1897–1907). In 1908, he launched an unsuccessful campaign to become [[Governor of Maine|governor]], losing to [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate [[Bert M. Fernald]]. In 1911, he was appointed as chairman of the Board of State Assessors, but resigned after being appointed and later elected Senator, filing the vacancy caused by the death of [[William P. Frye]]. Gardner served from September 23, 1911, until March 3, 1913, when he lost his bid for re-election. During this time, Gardner served in the Senate with fellow Democrat [[Charles Fletcher Johnson]]. It marked the first time since 1853 that two Democrats represented Maine in the United States Senate.

Following this defeat, he was appointed a member of the International Joint Commission created to prevent disputes between [[Canada]] and the [[United States]] over shared [[Canada–United States border|boundary waters]]. Later he became chairman of the American delegation, serving until his retirement in 1923.

Gardner returned to Rockland and later moved to [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]], where he died. He is interred in the Achorn Cemetery in Rockland.

==Sources==
* {{Commons cat inline|Obadiah Gardner}}
{{Congbio|G000060}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Cyrus W. Davis]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Governor of Maine]]|years=[[1908 Maine gubernatorial election|1908]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Frederick W. Plaisted]]}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box |
  state= Maine |
  class=2|
  before= [[William P. Frye]] |
  after= [[Edwin C. Burleigh]] |
  alongside= [[Charles Fletcher Johnson|Charles Johnson]] |
  years=September 23, 1911 &ndash; March 3, 1913
}}
{{s-hon}}
{{succession box
| title=Oldest living U.S. senator
| before=[[Newell Sanders]]
| after=[[Furnifold McLendel Simmons|Furnifold Simmons]]
|years= January 26, 1938 &ndash; July 24, 1938}}
{{s-end}}

{{USSenME}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Obadiah}}
[[Category:1852 births]]
[[Category:1938 deaths]]
[[Category:People from St. Clair County, Michigan]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Maine]]
[[Category:Maine Democrats]]
[[Category:Politicians from Rockland, Maine]]
[[Category:People from Union, Maine]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:Coburn Classical Institute alumni]]