USA > Maine > Somerset County > Bingham > Bingham sesquicentennial history, 1812-1962 > Part 5
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Militia
T HE FOLLOWING STORY is based on an article that appeared in the Waterville Sentinel.
An account of the activities of the Bingham Militia has been found among early records in the unorganized township of Concord. The book was found by Dr. Anna Howes. An ancestor of her husband, Davis Howes, had been in the Militia and it probably came into their home at that time.
Although the ink is faded and faint, many sections are clearly legible. It covers two decades beginning with 1819. It has one entry dated October 7, 1819. The second entry, dated in 1820, refers to the group as Maine Militia. Stephen Parlin, the first captain, and be- lieved to have organized the group, came originally from Concord, Massachusetts, by way of Norridgewock.
This small book records much of Home Defense activity in Bing- ham, Cornville, Brighton, Moscow and Solon, and refers to other towns in the vicinity. It was a part of the Second Regiment, First Brigade, Eighth Division.
In the inspection record of 1822 is an order from David Gilman, then local commander, to Stephen Otis "to warn and give four days notice to all non-commissioned officers and privates enrolled by law under my command to appear with required arms and equipment at the schoolhouse near Calvin Russell's place in the west half of the town." Each town furnished its own arms and equipment. Fines were levied on those who skipped drill. Entries appear of a cash note for $1.13, and one for $1.30 paid as fines. One member being unable to raise the cash for a fine, delivered a yoke of two-year old steers to the Company. The David Gilman mentioned was the father of Charles Gilman who served in the Civil War, great grandfather of Forest Gilman who served in World War I, and great great grandfather of Clarence Gilman who served in the second World War.
The uniform as described in an order dated June 16th, 1830, by Chandler Baker, Clark (clerk) consisted of "blue pantaloons, white jacket with red collar and cuffs, black hat with red plume and plate." Soldiers were advised to "hold themselves in readiness to march at a moment's notice."
Enlistments for musicians were for seven-year periods. Among those enrolled May 7th, 1922, were: Asa Churchill, fife; David Thomp- son, drum; Caleb Moses, bass drum.
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A certain amount of prestige, both social and military, was ac- quired by the men who served in the Militia, and military titles earned in this service often were attached to the men throughout their lives, as was the case of Captain Nathan Baker.
It is certain that these early citizens served willingly because of the protection afforded by such a group in those uncertain times.
ROBERT MOORE HOME - Built about 1830.
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Bingham Veterans
N THE YEAR THAT BINGHAM became incorporated the country was engaged in war with England. Many of the first settlers had served in the War for Independence and many of the men and, more lately, women have served their county in wartime.
The following lists are as accurate as possible, but since some men who were natives enlisted from other towns, or from schools or colleges, their names do not appear on the roles. In other cases, the names of men who lived in the surrounding towns without post offices, are often listed as Bingham.
REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS - BINGHAM, MAINE
Andrews, Jonathan
Decker, David
Kirk, Joseph
Briggs, Samuel
Fletcher, William
Russell, Calvin
Chamberlain, Moses
Goodrich, Joshua Jr.
Russell, Joseph
Chase, Roger
Jones, Lazarua
WAR OF 1812
Amherst, Spofford
Amherst, Spofford 2nd Moore, Luther Parlin, Abel
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Adams, Erastus
Bean, Joseph, Jr.
Dinsmore, John W.
Adams, George
Bean, Levi
Dinsmore, Thomas H.
Adams, Jesse
Blunt, Nathan
Dunton, David H.
Adams, Jonathan
Beals, George
Dunton, Frank
Adams, Philip
Beals, Timothy
Dunton, O. Cromwell
Adams, William
Brown, Charles Brown, George Durgin, Jeremiah 2nd.
Anderson, Columbus S.
Brown, T. B. Durgin, Joseph
Anderson, Willard
Brown, Nathaniel P. Durgin, W. Henry
Andrews, Asa
Brown, Jonathon E. Durgin, John H.
Atwood, Lincoln
Brown, Lyman G. Ellis, Samuel B.
Baker, Abner
Brown, William A.
Ellis, Sumner
Baker, Charles
Bumpus, A. Sylvester
Fee, Daniel C. Foss, Kingman
Baker, Cyrus C.
Cassidy, Edward
Baker, Cyrus M.
Chamberlain, Ruel
Fraine, John H.
Baker, Ephraim
Chamberlain, S. A.
French, Oliver
Baker, Leonard
Chase, Edward
Baker, Levi
Chase, Ephraim
Baker, Luther
Chase, Harlow
Goodrich, Hosea B.
Baker, Sylvester
Chase, Howard B.
Goodrich, Joseph H.
Baker, Tilson H.
Chase, George
Baker, Dow C.
Chase, Nathan D.
Baker, Horatio B.
Chase, Lewis C. Chase, T. Sylvester
Bates, Alfred
Church, James W.
Greenwood, William B.
Bean, Danville L.
Collins, William H.
Givens, Charles
Bates, Jarod
Daggett, Isaac T.
Bean, Jeremiah
Decker, Wm. A.
Hall, Cyrus, Sr. Hall, Elijah
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Goodrich, Sprague Graham, James Greenwood, Calvin R. Greenwood, Israel
Baker, Wellington
Garvin, Patrick Glidden, Albert .N.
Durgin, Jeremiah, Jr.
Adams, Winthrop
Harriman, John Healy, Jacob S. Heald, Amos Henrenus, John Hill, Jeremiah Holden, Austin R. Holt, Calvin R. Holway, Calvin Holway, Watson Hughes, James Hunter, Lauriston F. Hall, Cyrus, Jr. Hunt, Philander C. Johnson, Henry A. Jones, Lyman S. Jones, Ruel W. Kellett, Homas J.
McCollar, Peter
McCollor, Michael 1st McCollor, Phineas
McCrillis, Daniel
McCrillis, Nathaniel
McFadden, Manny
McNeal, John McNeely, Joseph
Mckinley, John
Messer, Ellingford
Messer, James B.
Moore, Webster D.
Moulton, Oliver H.
Murphy, Melvin N.
Nottage, William
Towne, Hartwell
O'Hara, James Packard, George R.
Tozier, Daniel S.
Knight, Charles
Pierce, Charles
Turner, Charles
Knight, William J.
Pierce, James
Turner, Sumner
Longley, George M. Longley, Joseph
Pierce, John
Vigue, Louis
Pierce, Obed W.
Vittum, Ambrose E.
Love, John
Pierce, Reuben B.
Vittum, Elisha
Love, Robert
Pierce, Sewell B.
Vittum, Samu
Love, William
Pooler, James
Webster, Hannibal
Lowell, William
Powers, John
Webster, William
Maxim, Philander C.
Rogers, Frank
Whipple, Edmund
McCollar, James
Rogers, James F.
Williams, F. L.
McCollar, John
Rogers, Lemuel
Williams, D. H.
McCollar, Thomas
Rowe, Luther B.
Young, Henry
McCollar, Michael 2nd
Russell, Delano
Young, Irving S.
WORLD WAR VETERANS - W. W. I
Andrews, Earle E.
*Beane, Stanley Bray, Cecil O. Carl, Leroy R. Cassidy, Mark Cilley, Moses L. Collins, Stean M. Dinsmore, Harry A. Dinsmore, Herbert B. Doyle, Forrest A.
Foss, William Gallant, Benjamin R. Gilman, Forrest I. Goff, Donald L.
Goodell, Llewellyn
Moore, Robert C. Padham, Floyd L. Parlin, Stanley B.
Gordon, John A.
Hawes, Harry
Phelps, Charles W. Robinson, Alston H.
Hilton, Errold F.
Rogers, Allan D.
Roundy, George A.
Hopkins, Percival O. (M.D.) Jacques, Philip O. Lander, Allen
Smith, Harry E. Smith, Robert Stoddard, Stanley W.
Lander, William
Swasey, Guy H.
Taylor, William B.
Temple, Guy O.
Vincent, Beecher
VETERANS WORLD WAR II
Adams, George Adams, William C. Andrews, Evander W., Jr. Atwood, Alva R. Atwood, Clifford R. Avery, Charles Baker, John D. Andrews, Floriman W. Bailey, Ralph
Andrews, Guy D. Andrews, Randall Arno, Percie R.
Ball, Franklin P. *Batchelder, Louis H. Barnaby, Craig N.
Beane, Bernard A. Beane, Eugene H. Beane, Roy C. Beane, Terry F. Bell, Vinal Berry, Gerald E. Bickford, Harold A. Bigelow, Albert B.
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Rollins, Andrew J.
Sands, Henry Smith, Byron R.
Smith, John Smith, Samuel S. Spaulding, Joseph P.
Spaulding, Levi
Spaulding, William H.
Steward, Joseph Steward, William Spaulding, Nathan F.
Temple, Luther Thompson, Octavius Towne, Abishai
Towne, Philander C.
Doyle, Wilmont R. Doyle, Palmer K. (died in service) Durgin, Leslie J. Farley, Ralph Fogg, Norman L. Fogg, Ralph C. *Killed in action
Lander, Eugene P. Laweryson, Melvin *Laweryson, Oscar
Lister, Perley B.
McCollar, Frank McTaggart, Donld G.
Hilton, Charles R.
Bigelow, Arlen F. Bigelow, James C. Bilodeau, Joseph A. Boutelle, Warren T. Bray, Lafayette J. Brewer, James A. Brochu, Paul E. Burns, Olin Cahill, Lewis J.
Carl, Bernard C.
Carter, Franklin O.
Cassidy, Hugh D.
Cates, Ernest L.
Cates, Urban L. Cates, Wendell E. Chasse, Laurence J.
Chase, Gerald L.
Laweryson, Ivan L.
Laweryson, Merwin F.
Laweryson, Milton M. Littlefield, Horace E., Jr.
Longley, Frank C.
MacKean, Albert G.
MacKean, Helen M.
Steward, Ercell H.
Steward, Lowell C.
Steward, Robert E.
*Craig, William H. Curtis, Harold E. Curtis, Philip H.
Davis, Kenneth
Davis, Lewis R.
McCollor, Merle E. McDonald, Erwin W.
McDonald, Leon E.
Thiboutot, Arthur
McIntyre, Emery H.
Thompson, Rexford R ..
Tibbetts, Keith A.
McQuilken, Norman E. Trembley, Edgar J. Melcher, Harry H. Messer, Basil F.
Trembley, Rainy Toulouse, Armand G ..
Towne, Maurice K.
Morine, Alvin M.
Tozier, Ralph M.
Morine, Eldon S.
Viles, Alfred W.
Morine, Robert K.
Voisine, Patrick Voisine, Paul
Morris, Weldon P. Nadeau, Rosario Nickerson, Floyd A.
Orr, Harley E.
Padham, Reginald W.
Padham, Roger B. Payson, Herbert 3d
Perry, Leslie J.
Plourde, Lucien J. Pooler, Lawrence G., Jr. Potter, Lewis W.
Rice, William H. Ricker, Erland E. Robinson, Blaine G. Robinson, Maynard O. Roderick, Thomas L. Roderick, Wilfred T. Rollins, Allen G. Rollins, Almon P.
Rollins, Blin N.
Rollins, Charles D. Rollins, Errold K. Rollins, Forest H. Rollins, Glen F. Rollins, Merrill L. Rollins, Richard H. Roy, Oscar J. Sands, Stacey Savage, Earl G.
Sawyer, Donald D.
Shaw, Donald E.
Shaw, Kenneth E. Shaw, Stephen D. Shaw, William J.
Small, Wilfred J.
Smith, Aubrey E.
Smith, Earl G. Jr. Smith, Jannette E. Spalding, Richard H. Steeves, Merle V. Steeves, Burton U.
Sterling, Edward A.
Martin, Eugene P.
Martin, Herbert W.
Malloy, Lawrence J. McAfee, Robert J.
Steward, Wilton E. Sullivan, George Tedford, Arthur Thiboutot, Alphonse
Doherty, Paul W.
Dunton, Albert W. Dunton, Stuart C. Flanders, Harold F. Fluett, Lewis W.
Folsom, William C. Forsythe, Gerald T. Foster, Edward H. Foster, Edwin H.
*Foster, Emmanuel M. Garland, Ray H. Gauthier, Henry J. Gehrke, Laurence A. Gehrke, Robert L. Gervais, Camille T. *Giberson, Gerald H. Giberson, Omar H. Giberson, G. Stanton Giguere, E. Maurice Giguere, Wilfred A. Gilbert, Bruce H., Jr. Gilman, Clarence Goff, Russell G. Goodrich, Arthur G. Goodrich, Harry M. Gordon, Douglas H. Gordon, John H., Jr. Guay, Charles F. Guay, Francis W. Guay, Gerard B.
Williams, Roger F. Wing, Morris R.
Witham, Blin B.
Witham, Dwight
Worster, Frederick R ..
Worthley, Irene M. Wyman, Charles O. Young, Annie L.
Young, Dorothy A.
Young, Kenneth E.
Young, Stephen A. Young, Virginia M ..
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*Collins, Charles W. Collins, James F. Collins, Hazel P. Cool, Richard C. Craig, John S.
Chase, Mansfield C. Clark, Gerald A. Clark, James A.
Hale, E. Blaine Hall, Richard N. Hanlin, Gerald H. Hanlin, Kenneth R. Harrington, Ross O. Hill, Earle W. Hill, Stanley B. Hilton, James B. Howarden, Edward E. Huggins, Norman Hunnewell, Clyde S. Hunnewell, Frank D. Hunnewell, Robert C. Johnston, Harrison Lamontagne, Peter J. Laweryson, Allen R.
McIntyre, Lenis E.
Michaud, Herman
Walker, Errold C. West, Donald W. West, Wellman A. Whitman, William L.
Williams, Gertrude E.
Williams, Guy F.
KOREAN CONFLICT
Since there is no existing check list of Veterans of the Korean conflict, and because there is a technical limitation imposed on the time of service, the following is as nearly correct as possible:
Adams, Sherwood
Clark, Norris
Ingraham, James Mclaughlin, Ralph
Andrews, William
Durgin, Jerry J.
*Michaud, Gilbert
Beane, Eldon
Hall, Ronald
Parent, Romeo
Beane, Kendall
Henderson, Eugene
Pratt, Mardell
Bridges, Lee
Huggins, Warren
Roberts, Richard
Cahill, James
Hunnewell, Stanton
White, James
Cassidy, Roland
Hutchins, Stephen
*Killed in action
- MRS. EDMUND C. MELCHER
PPER KE
MEMORI
HIGH
SCHOOL
SADY!
BINGHAM BAND - 1962
First row, left to right: Jill Mihovan, Bernadette Hines, Gloriajean Beane, Nancy Rollins, Pauline Rollins, Carolsue Beane, Albert Lagasse, Michael Curtis, Faylene Cates, Suzanne Sterling, Carol Beane, Caryl Forsythe, Tomalie Spalding, Joan MacIntosh.
Second row, left to right-Bruce Bushey, Charlotte Strout, Wilmont Robinson, Shawn Small, Jean Moore, Gene Kimball, Mrs. Knight, Linda Wallingford, Barbara Hill, Earlene Orcutt, Sally Duplessis, Clyde Beane, Donald Hansen.
Third row, left to right-Stephen Hinkley, Donald Beane, Essie Hunne- well, Dale Hunnewell, Michael McIntyre, John McCollor, Peter Fournier, David Baker, Merle Pierce, Gerald Giberson, James West, Larry Boy- ington, Larry Clark, David Hovey, Donald Moody.
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Adams, Vinal
Dionne, Gerald
Cemeteries
A T THE TOP OF MAHONEY HILL is an old burying ground. At the Brown place are Henry A. McClintick, his wife and four sons. Behind these are buried George V. E. Perry and his sons, Chester T. and George D .; also Joseph Langley and his two babies, Atwood and Timmy. All these died within seven months in 1861.
JOHNSON AND SPOFFORD CEMETERY
At the Cony Grant farm is the Johnson and Spofford cemetery where Eli R. Spofford and his wife, Nancy, are buried. Darenus John- son and his wife, Esther H., also their son, Darenus, who was a soldier. There are also the graves of Osgood C. Jones and his wife, Esther A. Johnson, Osgood being a Civil War veteran. Amherst Spofford and his wife, Rachel D., are also among the marked graves here.
FRENCH CEMETERY
At the Charlie French place there are a few graves of an early family. Only a few unreadable stones mark the place.
GEORGE CORSON CEMETERY
On a knoll at the George Corson place are three graves of George W. Noyes, his wife, Caroline E., and their daughter, Caroline.
FALL BROOK CEMETERY
At the Fall Brook Cemetery are Isaac Corson, who was a soldier, and John Maquine, a Civil War veteran, his wife and two daughters. Levi York and his wife, Lucinda, as well as a James York, Josiah Spof- ford and a baby of his. John Clark, a Civil War veteran, and Rev. Charles Clark were brothers. Rev. Mr. Clark's wife and two young children, as well as an older son, Nath'l L., are buried together.
GILMAN CORNER CEMETERY
At Gilman Corner Cemetery are John Tuscan and his wife, Nancy. John signed the petition for the first town meeting in 1812.
Mehitable, wife of Moses French, and probably her family buried beside her, with field stone markers.
Otis Strickland and his wife, Lucinda, are at one side in the woods.
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Amherst Spofford, a veteran of the Civil War, and his wife, Sarah G. There is also a George Spofford who died in 1943.
David Gilman, his wife, Fanny, their two sons, David and Charles, Flora and Lorean, wives of Charles, and two children are buried together.
Hannah Hilton, who died February 14, 1870 at the age of ninety- eight, is buried beside Fanny, wife of David Gilman.
Eliphalet Cooley, who has a G.A.R. marker, is buried beside his wife, Esther, and their sons, Forrest and Charles.
Graves of William Fletcher, first settler, and his wife, Sarah. Revolutionary War Soldier.
RUSSELL CORNER CEMETERY
Near Russell Corner there is a cemetery where Ben Cooley and his wife, Lydia, are buried; some Valentines, also some unmarked graves and field stones.
Across Johnson Stream from the Ed McClintick place, now in the woods, there are some slate stones with unreadable scratching on them, probably of an early family.
There are three buried at the upper end of Arlie McClintick's
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intervale close to Fall Brook, two women by the name of Young, also the famous Major E. Moore marked with an improperly set stone. His grave is twenty rods due west from the stone which reads: MAJOR JOSEPH E. MOORE, MASS. MILITARY 1776.
NAME UNKNOWN
On the so-called Piper place which was cleared by Amherst Spof- ford is his grave. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. For years the grave was enclosed by cedar rails which have deteriorated and no one knows the exact spot.
LEADBETTER
At the Leon Atwood place is the grave of Calvin Pierce who died in 1815. He signed the Bingham petition for incorporation in 18II, and was captain of the local Militia during the War of 1812. He has numerous descendants in the area today. His son, Joshua B., who was a lieutenant of the Militia, and his wife, Hannah, and their daughter, Clarisa C., are buried together.
Elizabeth Churchill, wife of Joseph, is also here. They were in town in 1790 or before.
THE VILLAGE CEMETERY
Tradition says there were graves covered with granite slabs there when the first settlers arrived. These are in the center of what is now the oldest part of the cemetery. There are four, and they are believed to be Indian graves.
Captain Joshua Goodrich gave the first land for this cemetery from his farm along the bank of the river. There is no record, but the old slate stones that mark the graves of the settlers are on this land.
Among these are Mr. Ephraim Heald who died in 1803, Lucy Parlin, 1804, and William Fletcher, 1806, the first settler in Norridge- wock and Bingham. Other early stones are those of Polly Knight, wife of Solomon, 1811, and in 1812, two Amos Fletchers.
In 1815, Joshua Goodrich IVth, a boy of thirteen, was killed in his grandfather's mill and buried in the cemetery in September. The grandfather, Captain Joshua Goodrich, died that same year in De- cember. His wife, Elizabeth, was buried beside him in 1840.
Pickard Goodrich, another grandson of Joshua, who had come into possesion of that part of the farm, gave a deed to "The First Burying Ground Society" for twenty-five dollars in 1847. The deed reads as follows:
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"A certain piece or parcel of land in said Bingham for a Bury- ing Ground, being a piece out of the northwest corner of the 'Old Capt. Goodrich Farm' so-called, lying between the County Road and the Kennebec River, and including that part of said farm which is now enclosed by a fence for a Burying Ground, containing one hundred square rods more or less." December 2d, 1847.
According to the town records of 1923, an article was voted to raise by loan twelve hundred fifty dollars ($1,250) to buy of A. C. Dinsmore the land which includes the first three drives near the Guy Williams' home.
A cemetery committee was appointed consisting of Mr. S. J. Whitney, Mr. A. C. Dinsmore, and Mrs. Lephe Preble, who acted as secretary and treasurer of the group. When the money raised had been repaid, the group disbanded. There was no cemetery association at this time, nor indeed, any available lots.
Buried in the plots of this old cemetery are eighty-two soldiers who served in all wars, some in the Revolution, veterans of 1812, and of the Civil War, both World Wars, and of the Korean Conflict.
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Transportation
T THE KENNEBEC RIVER, THE WATERWAY, was transportation for the people of the early days. Indians paddled canoes from Quebec down to the Atlantic for fishing, and back to Canada for hunting and trapping, making camp at many sites along the valley.
Benedict Arnold's Army of 1,100 men, on the Quebec Expedition, came up the Kennebec River in bateaux, passed the place where Bingham now stands, to camp some ten miles above.
The Ferry taken from the Bingham side of the Kennebec River. Old Bluff in the background.
The farmers of the Upper Kennebec Valley used the Indian Trail, the Horseback Path, to haul by hand-sled their butter and eggs for sale in Quebec City. This trail became a dirt road, traveled by horses and ox team, and brought French Canadians in their two-wheeled carts to work in haying and harvest seasons, and in turn, Canadian woodsmen to work in lumber camps and on the spring drive.
Progress brought the stagecoaches. The stagecoach of the early days was a heavy wagon which would seat twelve people. It was drawn by four horses except in mud time when six were used.
The stagecoach came from Skowhegan to Bingham where another took over which went to The Forks. Then another drove to Moose.
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River and another to the Canadian border. Later, the so-called Upriver Stage came from Caratunk and returned.
The passing of the stagecoach was an event to watch for, and its arrival was a real occasion, for it brought news of the outside world. The late Arthur Dinsmore often recalled how, as a boy of 15, at the close of the Civil War, he saw and heard the Skowhegan stage come into town, driven by William Blagdon, who had the horses at a gallop, and was shouting, "the War is done!"
Charles Colby drove the stage between Skowhegan and Bingham for twelve years.
Another veteran stage driver was Will Whorff who retired after fifty years. At the age of nineteen, he started driving stage between Bingham and The Forks, a distance of twenty-three miles. Then, fifteen years later, his drive was from Caratunk to Bingham and return. This was fifteen miles of hazardous road with dugways along the river bank, and in many places the road was too narrow for two teams to pass. Now it is the surfaced International Highway, but many an adventurous tale has come from those days when liquor and furs were smuggled over the boundary, and officers followed their men on the escapades.
The Bingham-Concord Ferry was originated about 1820 by a person known as Bige Goodrich who lived under Old Bluff. The house where he lived later was the home of the Garland family, and is now the "Red House" of Mr. and Mrs. Robie Howes.
The road at that time went up over Bluff where the Central Maine Power Company line now runs.
The Ferry was boat-style with "driving bats" for foot passengers, and a small scow for ox teams. The Ferry was poled and a scull-oar was used in deep water. The second owner, Bige's son, Marshall Good- rich, improved the original with a slung two-inch rope.
Marshall Goodrich was followed by owners: Joel Colby, Isaac Curtis, and William Clark. Then ownership went back to Isaac Curtis for thirty years. Curtis installed a steel wire cable six hundred feet long at a cost of $200, and had a better ferryboat.
William Carl followed as owner for six years, and its last owner was Elbie Curtis.
The Bingham-Concord bridge was constructed in 1905.
In April, 1868, the Town of Bingham voted to take stock in the Somerset Railroad, but it was twenty-two years before the first train came into Bingham.
Willis B. Goodrich, Town Clerk for many years, wrote in his personal records:
"Bingham, Maine, June 11, 1890. The Somerset Railroad is al-
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most here. A large crew of men are laying the track across David Whipple's field in plain sight of the village. We heard the whistle and the car bell last evening."
"June 12, 1890, Four O'clock P. M. The last spike was driven in the railroad, and the track laying was completed to near the main road on land owned by John Owens. A large crowd went down to see the sight, the band played, the church bell was rung, and the. cannon was fired while men cheered."
"June 29, 1890. The first freight was taken out over the road, ten cars of last blocks. They were loaded this P.M. and the engine came up at nine o'clock and took them out. The road is now graveled to John Harrimans."
"July 14, 1890. The first passenger train left Bingham at 6:45 A.M., twenty-one passengers on board, myself among the rest, and arrived at 7:00 P.M., eight passengers on board, a big crowd turning out to see it arrive."
Ed. Locke was the engineer; Walter Garland, the fireman; Dexter Foster, the conductor; and Ed. Magoon, the brakeman.
Business boomed. Bingham was the terminal until 1904 when rails were laid for the Kineo branch. Rails were laid to Deadwater December 2, 1904, and to "Joe Hole," December 27, 1905. The first train went into Kineo, December 3, 1906.
Bingham built a road to the railroad at Bingham Heights. At least six passenger trains came into town daily. Pullman cars, with the red-capped porters, were to be seen in the summer, and heavy freights, log trains, and work trains plied in and out.
The Maine Central Railroad took over in 1911, but forty-two years. brought new means of transportation and the Maine Central Railroad put on buses to carry the mail.
In 1932 passenger train service was discontinued from Waterville to Bingham.
Joe Cote was the conductor and Tim Coyne, the engineer on the last run. In 1933, the last passenger train ran into Kineo Station with Al Emerv, conductor, and Coyne, engineer. The last freight ran into Kineo, July 28, 1933, with Charles Dulec, conductor, and Charles Richardson, engineer.
Present-day freight service is two or three times a week. Auto- mobile service has taken over transportation.
Two incidents of interest of the many in the history of the rail- road in Bingham are recalled:
In June, 1944, a train with over two hundred German prisoners. of war and nearly as many United States Army men arrived in town
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just before dawn where a fleet of trucks carried the outfit to the prison camp at Hobbs Town on Spencer Lake.
The second is a tribute to a Bingham native, Walter I. Hughes, now a dairy farmer in Concord, who, when a boy of fifteen, averted what could have been a serious wreck.
Walter lived at the home of Frank Curtis on a farm on Route 201. One morning about noon, a call for help came over the Farmer's Tele- phone. A mix-up had been made in train orders and a north-bound freight out of Solon, and a south-bound freight out of Bingham were on the tracks, and, according to time, should be near the Curtis farm. Long-legged Walter made a streak for the distant track, and reached there just as the north-bound train came around a curve. He jumped between the rails and waved his red bandanna. The south-bound train came into sight. He stood there frantically waving the bandanna. The engineers caught the signal, applied their brakes, and the trains came to a stop only a few feet apart.
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