USA > Maine > Somerset County > Bingham > Bingham sesquicentennial history, 1812-1962 > Part 2
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Another house was built on the farm of Joshua III in the 1840's. His fifth son, Darius, was engaged to marry Lydia, daughter of Capt. William Baker. He was to have the east half of the farm, so he dug a cellar, built a house and barn on the north side of the road about one-fourth mile east of his father's house. For some reason the engagement was broken and the house was never occupied. Darius
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went west in the gold rush, married and died in Minnesota, while Lydia never married. His father moved the barn down beside his. own and the house was sold and moved across the Kennebec River to become the old red schoolhouse on the farm of Walter Hughes. It was used for many years as an ice house and finally burned.
The next occupant of this farm was Simon, fourth son of Joshua and Betsey. He married Desire, daughter of Capt. William Baker. He in turn was followed by his son, Granville, who married Alice, daughter of Caleb Robinson. Next came their son, Claude, who married Audrey, daughter of Albert Smith. He took over the place. about 1912. It is now owned and occupied by Harry Knowles and wife, Bertha, daughter of Claude, who have remodeled and modernized this ancient dwelling.
Nearby two other homes have lately been built by Russell Rupell and Linwood Knowles.
The farm which adjoined Joshua's on the north was cleared and settled by his brother, John Goodrich, who married Susan, daughter of Jonathan Bosworth. Here their twelve children were born. Their son, Willard, took over the farm, married Mrs. Charlotte (Colby) Dennis, and lived here until after the death of his aged parents. Their son Willis was born here. About 1870 he exchanged places. with William Preble (father of Fred, Mrs. Tilson Foss, etc.), and moved to Bingham Village. After the Prebles, it was occupied by families of Merrill, Studley and Whitiker. About 1880, it was pur- chased by James Redmond, who built a cider mill here, to which the. farmers for miles around brought their apples by the hayrack load to be ground, the cider pressed out and barrelled. Richard Curtis. lived here for a short time. It was sold by John Redmond about 1898 to John Kelley.
The next owner was Winslow Rollins, who lived here until after the death of his wife in 1918, when he sold to Walter Robinson. A few years later the buildings were torn down and a house was built. in Bingham Village with the lumber. Afterward the farm was sold to the S. D. Warren Co.
About 1914-15, while occupied by Winslow Rollins, one room. in this house was utilized as a school room. Lila (Rowe) Morrison and Maisie Murphy Gilman were among the teachers who taught here.
The farm to the north of the John Goodrich place was reputedly cleared and settled by a man by the name of Gore. This was un- doubtedly soon after 1800. In the early days a road came from the Moscow-Mayfield road, by the Charles Webster and Cahill farms, to the Gore farm and from there to the Parlin place. Peter Smith lived here at one time and his daughter, Annie (Smith) Moore, was: born here.
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There has been no evidence of any buildings for over seventy- five years, except for a log camp built by Frank and Curren Smith when cutting lumber there while they owned it for a number of years. Quite a large orchard had once been set out here. This farm is now owned by the S. D. Warren Co.
Adjoining the John Goodrich farm on the east was the Parlin farm which was cleared and settled by Abel Parlin, who married Lydia Goodrich, a sister of Joshua III and John. Abel Parlin, and, after him, his son, Stephen, who married Mary, daughter of Joseph Bassett, lived, raised large families and died on the Parlin farm.
Three houses were built on this farm. Abel built a small house when he first came here, probably a log house. After building a larger frame house, he tore down the first one.
Sometime between 1830 and 1835, his son, Stephen, soon after his marriage, built a new house a few rods north of the site of the old one. This remained there until about 1930, when it was torn down by John Redmond and a house built from the lumber by his daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hunnewell. Rev. Keith E. Smith now occupies this house. Lumber from the barn was utilized by Walter Hughes in some of his buildings.
After the new house was completed, Stephen and his wife went on horseback to Bangor, and there purchased carpets, dishes, wallpaper, etc. The wallpaper, which was of pure white with embossed medallions, remained, in perfect condition, on the walls of the "parlor" for over seventy years.
After the death of Stephen's widow in 1892, the farm was sold to John Redmond who lived there until he sold to the S. D. Warren Co. and moved to Bingham Village.
We have found no record of when, or by whom, the farm south of the Parlin farm and now known as the Williams place, was cleared or settled. A family by the name of Dorr lived there at one time. The 1850 Census shows Joseph Chamberlain living there, and Joseph Adams was living there in 1860. David Whipple lived there for a short time before moving to what is now known as Maplewood Spring farm on the river road. Llewelyn Williams, who married Flora, daughter of Nathaniel Withee, moved to this farm about 1875, raised his family and died here. Alfred Curtis was the last occupant. He sold about 1925 to the S. D. Warren Co., after which the buildings were torn down.
The farm south of the Williams farm, which was in later years owned by Williams and constituted part of his farm, was cleared and settled by Sylvester Jennings who married a daughter of the Joseph Adams who at that time lived on the Williams farm. He
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John Goodrich House, 1805, later known as Kelly Place.
built a house and barn and lived there for several years. About 1875 it was bought by James Redmond who lived there until the build- ings burned in 1880. The next owner was a Mahoney, who built a house and lived there for a short time. The house was never finished and was later used as a barn for storing hay. This was torn down after the S. D. Warren Co. bought the land.
Another house was built several rods to the north of this road and a few rods west of the Mill Brook by Benjamin Goodrich, son of Joshua, Jr. Here he presumably lived before moving to The Forks, where, for several years, he ran a ferry across Dead River on the old Canada Road. Afterward Levi Robinson, who was an uncle of Ben- jamin's wife, Belinda, daughter of Brown Baker, lived here for several years. Evidence of the cellar is still visible in the Taylor pasture.
Another house, built in recent years, on this road near its inter- section with Main Street, is now occupied by Arthur J. Gamache.
- MRS. LEONA STERLING
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Eastern Settlements in Bingham
SOON AFTER THE FIRST SETTLERS along the Kennebec began building their log houses and clearing their farms here, the eastern hills of the section began to be cleared and settled. Curiously enough, the newcomers arrived from the east over a trail that led through Athens, or West Athens by way of the Wentworth farm. One of these was Turner Willey who came from Wolfsboro, New Hampshire. He settled on the farm that has since come to be known as the Charles Gilman place. It is told that his wife brought grass roots from the Wentworth farm for her geese. This family traveled on horseback, coming about 1805.
David Gilman, a stepson of Turner Willey, cleared two farms, one later called the William Kiger farm, and the other the Warren Tozier place. He became prominent in town affairs, serving as Captain of the Maine Militia, as Trial Justice, and Justice of the Peace. His son, Charles, after serving in the Civil War, returned to follow in his steps, and served as Justice of the Peace for forty-nine years, perform- ing many marriages during his terms of office. The descendants have followed their good examples of citizenship.
Amherst Spofford, a signer of the petition for Incorporation, and a veteran of the War of 1812, settled on a farm across Fall Brook north of the place now called "Taylor Place." After clearing his land, about 1807, it is said that he and a son went to The Forks and cleared an area on the point of land between the confluence of Dead River and the East Branch of the Kennebec. In burning the felled trees while clearing the area, their cabin burned, and, discouraged by this event he returned to his first settlement. They came from the Town of Claremont, New Hampshire. As was often the case in those times, he was buried on his farm when he died, but the spot is no longer marked.
Washington McIntyre, who became the tax collector when the town was incorporated, originally cleared the farm now known as the Frank Savage place, and his sons and daughters married and settled nearby farms. One daughter, Betsy, married Ansel Holway and they settled on a section just east of the property owned by her father, and which was later passed on to their son, Isaac Holway. It became one of the finest in the area. It was told that Mr. Ansel Holway had but seventy-five cents in his possession. With it he bought the axe which he used to clear his farm.
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Samuel Clark settled where the North Road branches off near the Charles Gilman place. He was the grandfather of Albion Clark, a well-known citizen of Bingham for many years. Samuel's son, Elder Charles Clark, cleared the place that afterwards became Bingham's Town Farm.
Johnson Mountain is named for Darenus Johnson who settled there on the corner still called by that name, where the Lake Road crosses the Mahoney Hill Road. He had a mill on the stream also known by the name of Johnson. Nearby lived his wife's father whose name was Moody. All of these came from Vermont. His daughters mar- ried and settled in the neighborhood, and the men cleared more land.
Hiram Grant, Sr., a son of Peter Grant who had already settled over the Brighton line, settled the farm that his grandson, Coney Grant, owned for many years. All the Grant family were active in town affairs.
The land on Mahoney Hill was settled by a young man who had come first to Bingham about the time of the outbreak of the War of 1812. In his own story he says that his father came to Canaan from Jaffrey, New Hampshire. His father earned a meager living as a shoemaker, and Calvin Russell started to work on a farm in the newly settled town. Deciding that he could never hope to own any- thing on his earnings, he and his young wife, carrying with them their only goods, went into the forested area east of the town and at the top of the highest hill he cleared a place and built a log cabin. He says in his story that he lived in the log cabin for ten years and then built a frame house. He lived there for forty years, and passed it on to his son, William Russell. He lived his last days in town with his daughter, Cordelia Burke, dying after his ninetieth year. He, too, was a signer of the Petition for Incorporation.
These earlier settlers formed a nucleus of a group that cleared and cultivated a large area, and their sons and daughters settled on and cleared nearby acres in what is still called "the back part of Bingham" until its population equalled that of the town itself. Their descendants have been, and are, well-known citizens of both the farming and town section. Much of the land cleared so laboriously has gone back into forested land, much of it being marginal land, better suited to growing trees than other crops.
(The above is from notes by Lizzie Gilman McQuilkin.)
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New England Heritage
(The subject of this poem, Isaac Holway, was a life-long resident of Bingham, and served his town as selectman, member of the school board and in other offices. He was born on the farm which his father had carved out of the wilderness in the last days of the eighteenth century.)
I know where there was once a bit of Paradise Wherein a good man dwelt.
And in his eyes
There was a gleam of joyousness and peace That lasted through his life, nor did he ever cease To be happy.
The happiest man I ever knew! And yet his pleasures were so very few As we count pleasures. Scarce a day of rest, A half-day trip to town, weekly, in quest Of sundries, at the village grocery store. He seldom stopped but for an hour or more, Then turned his good horse homeward.
At his side His dog, who ever seemed to like the ride.
His world was such a tiny portion of this sphere. Its boundaries, scarce farther than he could hear The sounds of Nature, the black crow's raucous call, The guns of hunters as they came each fall. As far as he could see, he owned the land And in the midst what he would call his "stand Of buildings".
Glistening white with shutters green Within the valley, where they might be seen From every side.
They seemd to gain renown By being the best kept within the town.
He tilled his fields with oxen, whose quaint names Were Buck and Broad. They always were the same Though one pair should outlive their usefulness, He always gave the names to all the rest That followed after. They were easy names to say And fancier ones were not the custom of his day. He loved his animals, his flocks, his bees,
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His lovely gardens and his appletrees, His faithful neighbors. How he loved his home! He was content without a thought to roam Beyond the boundaries of his peaceful farm, Where unknown roads might lead him to great harm.
Within this paradise I lived with him, Watched him grow old, his kindly eyes grow dim, His step grow feeble and his shoulders bend As men are apt to do when toward the end Of life's long journey, but the sweet content Within his heart still stayed and never went. These memories of him sweeter grow each year, A precious heritage, I hold most dear.
- ELSIA HOLWAY BURLEIGH
(Published in the National Anthology of Father Verse.)
Bingham Village in 1909 taken from the east.
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William Bingham
T HE MEMORY OF WILLIAM BINGHAM is perpetuated today in the names of Bingham, Maine, and Binghamton, New York. Bingham- ton, New York, probably commemorates one of his more successful real estate developments; while the Kennebec Lands in Maine were, for him, very unsatisfactory. However, as time went on, Alexander Baring of the English family of bankers became associated with the enterprise and was interested in having towns named for key men in the business. Just when the name of Bingham was first applied to this town does not seem to be a matter of record, but the idea probably stemmed from Mr. Baring. The first settlers used the name of Cara- tunk for this vicinity.
Mr. Bingham was a man of tremendous mental ability, high honor, and great success in business. He was the son of a Philadelphia busi- ness man, and was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1768 at the age of sixteen. When the Revolution against British rule occurred he was selected by the leaders of the revolt, because of his phenominal aptitude for big business, to secure supplies of arms and ammunition from France or wherever they might be found. For this task he established himself on the Island of Martinique in the Carib- bean where he operated successfully during the War.
Not long after the War he married the beautiful daughter of a prominent Philadelphia banker, and for most of their lives Mr. and Mrs. Bingham lived in a fine residence near Philadelphia.
After the Revolution there was a period of great readjustment as our new nation struggled from the exhaustion of the War, towards the great promise of the future. A large section of this great continent was now free to be developed as its inhabitants saw fit; and this led to a great era of land speculation. Companies were formed which acquired vast holdings of undeveloped wildernes, all along through the eastern states from Florida to Canada, and west into Ohio. In these sections there developed new towns, new agricultural areas, and new industries; which sometimes brought wealth to their promoters, and sometimes financial ruin.
William Bingham had become one of the business giants of that day and was involved in numerous land speculations. Here we come to the Maine situation. A series of efforts had been made to develop the great wilderness of Maine. These had consistently proved unprofit- able. The area was part of Massachusetts which had tried a land lottery and that had been followed by the efforts of several private companies. The wife of General Knox had inherited a large amount of land in Maine from a grandfather; and General Knox (Washington's
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Secretary of War) was involved in various attempts to profitably settle and develop the lands in Maine. He was a friend of Mr. Bingham who, through him, became interested and finally joined in a plan, with General Knox as his principal partner, to take over an immense amount of Maine land.
This new company had first to do business with the Massachusetts legislature, which drove a hard bargain. But after long and involved negotiations the new company was allowed vast areas in Maine which became the actual property of the company only after all the com- plicated stipulations were finally met. This proved to be some time after the death of Mr. Bingham.
Mr. Bingham and General Knox gave the job of manager to their mutual friend, General Cobb. General Cobb's headquarters were established on the coast of Maine at Gouldsboro, and little is heard. of the Kennebec purchase until some years later. During the remain- ing years of Mr. Bingham's life his company had two objectives. The first was to colonize and develop the coastal area of Maine north of Mt. Desert Island; and, second, was to sell the Kennebec area to anybody who would buy it.
This business venture in Maine was not profitable for Mr. Bingham. The coastal area was too slow in developing and no purchaser was. found for the Kennebec lands. Mr. Bingham was a very large operator and was always solvent; but the demands of the Massachusetts legis- lature to which he had agreed, made the Maine lands a financial hazard to him. Because of this situation he invited the Baring Bankers of London, England, to investigate and see if they would care to share the risk with his company until the tide should turn in favor of company profits.
The Barings were interested and sent Alexander Baring (age 21) to look into the business and report. Alexander was another mental prodigy and business genius. He considered the prospect to be good enough and his family took a half interest in the company. Alexander, before very long, married one of Mr. Bingham's daughters; and some time later reappears in American history as the Lord Ashburton who met with Daniel Webster to determine the true line between Maine and Canada.
During the last days of General Cobb's management of the Bingham lands in Maine, it was decided to have the Kennebec lands explored and the inhabitants, if any, counted and given title to their property. This was done and the several families living in this Bingham area were recorded in 1800. Soon after that, settlers came in considerable numbers and the Town of Bingham assumed a general structure which became the framework of what we have today.
- ROBERT C. MOORE
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Copy of Petition for Incorporation
TO THE HONORABLE the Senate and the House of Representatives, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General Court assembled.
The Petition of the Inhabitants of an unincorporated place called Township No. one-first Range, east of Kennebeck River, Million Acres, County of Somerset, humbly represents, that they labour under the inconvenience of bad roads, of not having School Houses nor Schools, so in their present unincorporate situation,-to remedy those evils, your petitioners pray that the above mentioned Township to- gether with the western boundaries being in the middle of the channel of said River, may together with the Inhabitants, be incorporated into a town, by the name of Bingham, to enjoy all the privileges, Towns in this Commonwealth, are entitled; and that the same may be ex- empted from the State and County Taxes for the space of ten years, or both, or either of them, for such term of time as your Honors may think proper and as in duty bound will ever pray.
Dated at No. 1 M. Acres first day of April, 1811.
LIST OF SIGNERS OF THE PETITION FOR INCORPORATION TOWN OF BINGHAM TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
STEPHEN PARLIN
AMHERST SPOFFORD
ASA FLETCHER, JR.
JOSHUA GOODRICH, JR.
BENJAMIN GOODRICH
EDWARD HOWES
EPHRAIM HEALD
TURNER WILLEY
DANIEL CHURCHILL
OBED WILSON
AARON RICE
JOSEPH COOK
CHARLES WILLEY
IRA YOUNG
ABIJAH GOODRICH
SILAS PARLIN, JR.
ASA FLETCHER
DANIEL WILLIAMS
JONATHAN BOSWORTH
ISAAC WILLIAMS
JOHN WILLIAMS
JOSHUA SMITH
JOSHUA GOODRICH
ROGER CHASE
CALVIN PIERCE
ABNER BAKER
(over)
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To the House of Rep. 5 June 1811 Read & Committed to the Committee on Towns.
Sent up for Concurrence (Signed) JOSEPH STORY, Speaker
In Senate June 5, 1811
Read & concurred - (Signed) SAMUEL DANA, Pres.
In Senate Jan 9th, 1812 Read and Committed to Committee on Towns & Sent down for concurrence (Signed) SAMUEL DANA, Pres.
In the House of Rep. 10 Jan. 1812 Read & Concurred
(Signed) JOSEPH STORY, Speaker.
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Town Records
T HE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS of Bingham Town Records are con- tained in thirteen bound volumes lettered in alphabetical order. The book being used for the current year is lettered Vol. M.
The books are well preserved, and with the exception of Vol. C, which is written in blue ink on blue paper, they are not difficult to read.
Vol. A, a calf-skin covered book, carries on its fly leaf in large letters this inscription: "Records of the Town of Bingham - 1812," then opens with the Article of Incorporation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, followed by the Petition and Warrant of the first Town Meeting and the election of officers.
Ephriam Wood was elected the Town Clerk and the First Select- man. The records that he kept are in handwriting as clear to read as if they had been printed.
Ephriam Wood was born in Concord, Massachusetts, November 19, 1759. He was the son of Oliver and Lucy Wood.
Hansen's History of Norridgewock states that Oliver Wood came to Norridgewock about year 1774.
The late Sidney T. Goodrich of Bingham, in early writings, wrote: "In the year 1805, there settled in this place some half dozen families. Among them was a young man by the name of Ephriam Wood, a school teacher, who located here but spent part of his time teaching in different towns up and down the river from here to Norridgewock." In 1799 he married Lephie Goodrich and settled on what is now the farm of Guy Herren which extended at that time beyond the farm now owned by Mrs. Emile Fecteau. He died in Bingham, August 15, 1841. He served as Town Clerk for thirteen years.
After the incorporation of the Town of Bingham, the people went to work with purpose. Special town meetings were held often that first year of 1812, and the foundation was laid for the town now one hundred fifty years organized.
A qualified voter was a male, twenty-one years of age, and a free- holder of estate in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Schools and laying out of roads was the first business acted upon, and in 1812 it was voted: "To have two School Districts on the river, and one at Fall Brook. $125 for the use of schools to be paid in corn, rye, or wheat. That school money be divided according to the number
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of scholars in each District from four years of age to twenty-one." It was also voted: "That gates be allowed to remain this year across the road."
"To let hogs run upon the common, being yoked and rung."
"To build a bridge across the main branch of Austin Stream pro- viding that the towns above will do their proportional part in building it and not without."
"That the River Road through the town be four rods wide and the other roads in town be three rods wide."
"To pick names for the Jury box."
Schools, roads, and town poor were acted upon at every annual meeting. Officers' oaths and routine business is recorded, and from the thirteen volumes, these unusual votes have been taken:
In 1820 the town cast its votes regarding Maine becoming a state. "To choose a committee to audit the accounts of the town."
In 1822 voted: "To repair the schoolhouse; buy a pot-ash kettle for a stove."
"That Jonothan Bosworth and Washington McIntire take care of the dogs, especially at time of public worship."
1838 voted: "Not to buy a Town Farm."
1862 voted: "To raise twelve hundred dollars by loan to pay $100 each to twelve volunteers that have volunteered in the United States Service to make out this town's quota for the last hundred thousand called by the President of the United States."
April, 1868, voted: "By two thirds vote to subscribe for and take stock in the Somerset Railroad to the amount of $12,000, and that the Selectmen and Town Clerk be a committee to issue bonds."
In December of that year at a special town meeting voted: "To direct the Selectmen not to pay any further assessments that may be against the Town of Bingham in favor of appropriating money to be expended in aid of construction of the Somerset Railroad until further orders from the town." This question of aiding the Somerset Railroad construction came up at many town meetings during the next fifteen years, and, according to the records, it would seem that Bingham, with other towns concerned stood a lawsuit over the question, but at last the railroad was built.
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