The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-08-22
BINGHAM CENTENNIAL EXERCISES WERE
DRAWN To A CLOSE SUNDAY
Celebration Been Going On Since the Tuesday
Previous Former Residents Home History

w. %. GOOUTlCn Tedu pOem WFillcIl
by Mrs. Cynthia Goodrich McQuilkin
There was singing There is No Place
Like Home" Mrs Philo Steward, Skow-
hegan, soloist. There was a reading
by Miss Taylor of Providence, r. L, re-
union poem, Mrs. Owen.
The officers elected for the ensuing
year were President, Ralph Goodrich /;
vice pres, Lewis Baker; treas, George
Baker; secretary, Mrs. Isadore Fitz-
simmons.
Mrs. Agnes Emery and Mrs. Hanly of
Bay City, Mich; Mrs. Ephraim Jones,
Lawrence, Kan; Mrs. Alden Baker,
Kansas; Miss Linnie Weston, Skowhe-
gan; Mrs. Harry Dennison, Attleboro,
Mass; Mrs. Eugene Goodrich, Kansas
City; Mrs. Abbie Webster and Mrs.
William Lawton, Waterville; Rev. Miss
Adams, Solon; Rev. John Moseley, New
Sharon; Mr.. and Mrs. Leander McIn-
tire, Solon; Mr. and Mrs. Austin
Baker, Athens; Mrs. c. JSSAbbey, Mr..
and Mrs. Philo Steward, Skowhegan.
The final event occurred Sunday
when special services were held in the
Congregational church conducted by
Rev. T. B. HIATT.
A prettier village than Bingham is
not found in the State. 1t nestles
close to the kennebec river beneath
the big hills in central Somerset and
yet it is the farthest town north. Ten
years ago it had no manufacturing
places to speak of. That was just be-
fore the railroad went farther than
Bingham Old heads said that If the
road was extended Bingham would
never grow but this has proved a
false prophecy, for Bingham has In
creased about one-half in population
and now the town is flourishing with
business places, industries, and the
people are happy.
THE BINGHAM PURCHASE.
Bingham has an interesting history
in that it was included in what Is
known as the Bingham purchase. "
The Bingham purchase refers to two
tracts of land called the Eastern and
the Western Million Acre Purchase.
The Eastern was secured between the
years 1856 and 1890. The Western
was bought in 1893. This tract was
contracted for by General Knox by the
advice of Gen. Lincoln of Massachu-
etts who had explored the territory.
Lacking funds, however, to pay for
his purchase and being so much oc-
cupied with his duties as Secretary of
War that he was unable to attend to
this property, he transferred this con
tract to his friend William Bingham
of Philadelphia who had fought in the
Revolution This Western purchase
of million acres includes this whole
northwestern portion of Maine. The
north line of this purchase is the same
with the northern line of the town
ships which strike near the middle of
Moosehead Lake on the western side,
thence southwark on the eastern line
of the western tier of towns in Pisca-
taquis county to the southeastern cor
ner of Wellington. This comprised
about one million acres.
This township afterwards called
Bingham was surveyed in 1901 by
Philip Bullen. 1t contains an area OF
90 ,040 acres. On the sixth of Febru-
ary, 1912, the town was incorporated,
receiving its name in honor of William
Bingham. Mr.. Bingham died in Bath,
England, in 1906. Soon after Mr.. Bing-
ham went to England he appointed a
young man named John Black as his
agent to manage his land in Maine.
ITS HARDY RESIDENTS.
The Baker and Goodrich families
are the oldest families in the town
and S. r. Goodrich who will give a
history of the town at the Centennial
is a striking character of the hardy
and rugged men who settled in the
town.
The oldest church in town is now
standing, the Congregational church
The church was organized in 1905. 1t
has an interesting history. In 1909
there came two men, Reuben and Abb
ner Baker, twin brothers, with their
large families from Litchfeld, Me,
and settled in that part of Moscow
known as Sugartown, two miles from
Bingham. They united with the church
and they and their descendants have
ever since furnished the church with
musical talent. While others have
come to this church who have con-
tributed their part to its history and
dropped out there are three families
whose names have been enolled upon
the church books during almost hun
dred years. They are the Goodriches,
the Russells and the Bakers. The
Russells married the Goodriches, the
Goodriches married the Bakers and
the Bakers married the Russells.
Thus is formed a triangular communi-
ty whose three sides are Goodrich,
Baker and Russell.
Thirty wears after the organization