Carlos Heard was reared in his native town, and educated in the common schools thereof, thus obtaining a practical education. In 1865 he removed to Biddeford, Maine, and six years later, in company with his uncle Simeon P. McKenney, purchased the hardware establishment of Barnabas E. Cutter & Son, then and for years afterwards located in the old City building. The legal papers transferring this business were of date June 8, 1871, and the firm of McKenney & Heard continued until the death of its senior member, after which Carlos conducted it on his own account. In 1894 the City building was destroyed by fire, but with characteristic energy, Carlos quickly removed what was left of his stock, and, adding to it, opened a new store in the Quinby & Sweetser block, and within a very short period of time was again conducting business as usual. In 1895, he completed the three-story brick building known as the Heard block, on Main street, where, under the old name of McKenney & Heard, he conducted business until his death. By this time the trade of the concern had made great strides, both in the retail and jobbing lines, and its customers were found in all parts of York County. He also served as president of the Biddeford Savings Bank, as director of the Biddeford & Saco Railroad Company, and in local financial circles his knowledge and judgment were rated high and he was often consulted by those having funds to be invested. He had been a close student for many years of financial problems, and there was perhaps no man in the community better posted as to the earning power and real and prospective value of securities. His particular hobby in this line was mill stocks, he keeping close track of what the leading cotton mill corporations of New England were doing. He could tell, off-hand, the surplus of a given concern, its approximate earnings, its rate of dividends, its general physical condition. He was a Democrat in politics. In 1877 he was elected an alderman, and was reelected in 1878 and 1879, serving as presiding officer of the board in the last mentioned year. He represented Biddeford in the Legislature in 1879 and 1880; was an assessor of taxes from 1883 to 1890; street commissioner in 1885-1886, and in 1896 was the first nominee of the Citizens' party for mayor. His administration was so successful that he was reelected in the following year without a struggle and by a largely increased majority. He was the first non-partisan mayor ever chosen in Biddeford. For some time, after the retirement of Hon. John M. Goodwin, Carlos was president of the Citizens' Association. He was to the last greatly interested in public affairs and was a staunch supporter and great admirer of President Wilson. Carlos also served as president of the McArthur Library Association. He married Harriet Alberta Lunt on Sep. 30, 1874. He was a lineal descendant of John Heard, who came from England in 1636 and settled in what is now Dover, New Hampshire.

(Excerpted from Louis Clinton Hatch, Maine: A History (Vol. 4, pp. 85-86.)