Brigadier General Neal Dow Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Neal Dow (1804-1897) was a zealous crusader for the cause of temperance and prohibition, both in Maine and throughout the country. In 1838, he formed the Maine Temperance Union, an organization that advocated total abstinence from drinking alcohol. Dow lobbied the state legislature for the passage of a prohibition law, and in 1851, after he was elected Mayor of Portland, he succeeded. The Maine Law remained in effect, except for a lapse of three years, until the repeal of National Prohibition in 1933. It made liquor manufacture, trade and use illegal in Maine, except for medicinal or mechanical purposes. During the Civil War, Dow commanded the 13th Maine Volunteer Infantry and sought to promote the temperance cause among his soldiers.