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Centennial History of Waterville
Page 260
William Thomas Haines. William Thomas Haines, son of Thomas J. and Maria Eddy Haines, was born at Levant, Maine, in 1854. He received his education in East Corinth Academy, University of Maine and Albany Law School. He commenced the practice of law in Oakland, in 1879, and moved to Waterville in 1880, where he has continued his law practice to the present time. He has represented Waterville in both branches of the State Legislature. He was County Attorney for four years and Attorney General of the State from 1897 to 1901, and is a member of the Governor's Council. He has been a trustee of the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now the University of Maine, for many years, and has had an important part in the development of that institution. July 1, 1883 Mr. Haines married Miss Edith S. Hemenway of Rockland, Me. His children are Ethel A., William and Gertrude W. Mr. Haines has large holdings in railroad property, owns timber lands in northern Maine, on which he carries on lumbering operations, and is prominent in many business enterprises of the city. He is in the directorate of many corporations and is a trustee of Coburn Classical Institute. He is a member of the Masonic order.
W. T. Haines" -- the HONORABLE WILLIAM THOMAS HAINES, always known to a legion of friends as "Bill" Haines -- was the son of Thomas J. and Maria L. (Eddy) Haines. He was a direct descendant of the eighth generation from Deacon Samuel Haines, who sailed from Bristol, England, in one of Sir Raleigh's ships, in 1635. Wrecked on the Maine coast, the crew and passengers landed at Pemaquid, August 15 of that year. Born on a little farm in Levant, Penobscot county, Maine, Aug. 7, 1854, his parents too poor to render much of any material assistance to an ambitious youth planning on being Governor of his state, he fought his way through gulf of obstacles in the zones of both poverty and politics, finally landing the governorship at the election of 1912, serving two years. He had been seated in the chair of the chief executive only a few weeks before friend and foe alike discovered that he himself the governor without any assistants and few if any advisors. But his name goes into the pages of our history as one of the strongest characters who have ever held this high office. He was proud of the old Pine Tree State, its history and its traditions, and stood as firm as a rock for all that he convieved to be for the greatest welfare. He was a good lawyer, had been Attorney General of Maine, was a business man of marked ability, and amassed quite a fortune. He died June 4th, 1919
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1855 - 1919 (63 years)
d. 10 May 1897 (Age 80 years) 
