John G. Utterback | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Utterback circa 1935. Photo collections of the U.S. House of Representatives. | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMaine's3rd district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | |
| Preceded by | John E. Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Owen Brewster |
| Mayor of Bangor, Maine | |
| In office 1914–1915 | |
| Preceded by | Flavius O. Beal |
| Succeeded by | Frank Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Gregg Utterback (1872-07-12)July 12, 1872 Franklin, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 1955(1955-07-11) (aged 83) Bangor, Maine, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Profession | Carriage dealer Automobile dealer |
John Gregg Utterback (July 12, 1872 – July 11, 1955) was an American businessman andU.S. Representative fromMaine, and a cousin of CongressmanHubert Utterback.
Utterback was born and educated inFranklin, Indiana. In 1889, he began working in a local carriage factory, where he remained until 1892.
From 1892 to 1905, Utterback was a traveling salesman, and represented a variety of products. While pursuing his sales career, he lived inJackson, Michigan,Rochester, New York, andWinchester, Massachusetts.
In 1905, Utterback settled inBangor, Maine where he operated a carriage dealership, which evolved into a successful automobile dealership. Utterback sold theKing automobile, and later Atlas trucks and the trucks of the Commerce Motor Car Company. He also became active in politics as a Democrat, and served on the city council from 1912 to 1913, as an alderman from 1913 to 1914.. He was mayor of Bangor from 1914 to 1915. In 1930, Utterback was chairman of the Maine Motor Vehicle Conference Committee, and he was a delegate to the 1932 Democratic National Convention.
Utterback was elected as aDemocrat to theSeventy-third United States Congress (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935), defeating RepublicanOwen Brewster by 324 votes. Brewster contested the result, claiming fraud in the French-Canadian districts ofAroostook County. Utterback prevailed, aided by a lack of sympathy for Brewster among the Republican 'old guard' who heard his challenge. Outgoing Republican GovernorWilliam Tudor Gardiner declared "preposterous" Brewster's idea that Gardiner personally investigate the allegations.[1]
Fittingly for a candidate from the "wet" Bangor, Utterback made his first congressional speech in support of the repeal ofProhibition around which he had built his campaign. Bangor's saloons had been a major target of the Maine's prohibition law (in force for 75 years), the oldest in the nation. TheMaine law was widely supported in rural districts but not in the cities. Brewster was from the town ofDexter, and his law office was in Bangor, but he continued to favor prohibition even though by the 1930s, the national Republican Party had begun to favor repeal.[2]
Brewster opposed Utterback in the 1934 election and defeated Utterback. One issue that went against Utterback was Congress' failure to support a plannedtidal power project inPassamaquoddy Bay, which would have been a major job creator in Utterback's district.
In 1935, Utterback was appointed United States Marshal for the District of Maine, and he served until resigning in 1944. He continued to remain active in the automobile business as president of the Utterback Corporation truck and car dealerships.
He died inBangor, Maine, July 11, 1955, and was interred inMount Hope Cemetery.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMaine's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 | Succeeded by |
