Joseph H. Williams

Joseph Hartwell Williams (February 15, 1814 – July 19, 1896) was an American politician who served as the 27th Governor of Maine from 1857 to 1858.

Early years
Williams was born in Augusta (in modern-day Maine, then a part of Massachusetts) on February 15, 1814. He graduated from Harvard University in 1830. He also studied at Dane Law School in Cambridge.

Politics
Williams was a Democrat. In 1854, he switched his political allegiance and become a Republican. He became a member and president of the Maine State Senate in 1857. Hannibal Hamlin, the Governor of Maine at the time, resigned on February 25, 1857, to accept the position of United States Senator. Williams, president of the senate at the time, became the new governor of the state. He completed the term of Hannibal Hamlin. He left office on January 6, 1858.

Later years
After leaving office, Williams served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 1864 to 1866. He was re-elected as an independent to the Maine House of Representatives in 1873. He held that position for two years. He ran for governorship in 1873, but he was unsuccessful. He then practiced law. He died on July 19, 1896.