Representative Barzillai Gannett

Barzillai Gannett (June 17, 1764 – 1832) was a United States Representative from Massachusetts whose public career was closely associated with the District of Maine during the early years of the American republic. He was born in Bridgewater, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, on June 17, 1764, into the social and political milieu of colonial New England. Details of his family background and early youth are sparse in the historical record, but his subsequent education and public service indicate that he emerged from a community in which higher learning and civic engagement were valued.

Gannett pursued higher education at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was graduated in 1785. Following his graduation, he studied theology, a common course of study for educated men of his generation, although he ultimately chose not to enter the ministry. Instead, he turned toward civic and political life in the District of Maine, then still a part of Massachusetts, where he became an active participant in local governance and community affairs.

By the 1790s, Gannett had settled in Pittston, in what is now the state of Maine, and began a long period of service in town government. He served as a selectman of Pittston, taking part in the administration of local affairs. In addition to his duties as selectman, he held the office of town clerk in 1794 and served as town moderator from 1797 to 1802, presiding over town meetings and helping to guide local decision-making. His growing reputation as a capable local official led to further responsibilities as the region developed.

In the early nineteenth century, Gannett moved to Gardiner, Maine, where he continued his involvement in municipal government. He served as selectman and assessor of Gardiner from 1803 to 1808, overseeing both general town administration and the assessment of local taxes. He was appointed the first postmaster of Gardiner and held that federal position from September 30, 1804, to October 1, 1809, playing a key role in establishing regular mail service in the growing community. He also served as town moderator in Gardiner, continuing his pattern of leadership in local deliberative bodies. During this period, Gannett expanded his public career to the state level, serving as a member of both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate, representing the interests of the District of Maine in the legislature of the parent state.

Gannett’s state and local prominence culminated in his election to the national legislature. A supporter of the Democratic-Republican Party, he was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Eleventh and Twelfth Congresses. He served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1809, until his resignation in 1812. During his tenure in Congress, he sat in the period immediately preceding and leading into the War of 1812, when issues of trade restrictions, relations with Great Britain, and the defense of the young nation dominated the federal agenda. Although the detailed record of his specific legislative activities is limited, his service placed him among the New England representatives navigating the tensions between regional commercial interests and national policy.

After his resignation from Congress in 1812, Gannett’s life took a markedly different turn. At some point following his departure from federal office, an accusation regarding a breach of trust arose against him in Maine. In the wake of this accusation, he left Maine, adopted the name Benjamin Gardiner, and relocated to Ohio. Under this assumed name, he appears to have attempted to establish a new life in the West, reflecting both the opportunities and anonymity that the expanding American frontier could offer to former public figures.

Around the year 1822, Barzillai Gannett, then living under the name Benjamin Gardiner, again suddenly disappeared from Ohio. The circumstances of this second disappearance are not well documented, and the historical record provides little detail on his activities or whereabouts in the intervening years. It is known, however, that Gannett eventually made his way to New York. He died in New York City in 1832, closing a life that had begun in colonial Massachusetts, risen to prominence in the local and state politics of the District of Maine, extended to service in the United States Congress, and ended in relative obscurity far from the communities where he had first established his public reputation.