Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-10-22
GOLDEN
WEDDING
ANNIVERSARY
Mr.. and Mrs. c. c. Bingham
Hold a Reception This Af-
noon and Evening

Mr.. and Mrs. C. C. Bingham of
st. Johnsbury are receiving hearty
congratulations To-Day over the 50th
wedding anniversary and this after
noon and evening they will hold q
reception for their friends at their
home on Church street.
Charles C. Bingham was horn in
st. Johnsbury, July 4, 1886. lie has
always lived here and with the ex-
ception OF a few years he has occu-
pied the house at No. 8 Church St.
For so years he has been proprietor
of one of the oldest business houses
in st. Johnsbury. The drug store was
founded by DR.. Luther Jewett and
purchased in 1845 by J. C. Bingham
father of the recent proprietor. Mr..
Binghalq was educated in our pub
lie schools and grew up as a young
man in his fathers store. When the
brick block was built in 1869 he
became associated with his father in
the drug business. At the death of
his father in 1870 the two brothers,
Charles C. and Henry M. Bingham
continued the business. Three years
later the latter died, leaving the bus
mess to C. C. Bingham who has been
sole owner ever since. In September
of the present year he retired from
active business by selling the store
to his clerk, Shirley X. Brigham.
Throughout the Civil War, and for
several years later, the telegraph o.
flee was in the Bingham drug store
and Mr.. Bingham became an cx-
pert telegrapher, handling most Of
the messages through the exciting
days from 'G1 to '65. Gov. Erastus
Fairbanks had his official resitle, ce
here, necessitating much extra bus
mess between st. Johnsbury and the
state and national capitals.
Mr.. Bingham kept up his interest
in electrical developments, and in
the late seventies installed the first
telephone in this section between his
house and the store. This was soon
extended to include the local physi-
| clans and later he established the St.
Johnsbury exchange. He built lines
to Lyndonville, Passumpsic and
Walden, connecting at the latter
place with the Montpelier exchange.
After his exchange was purchased by
the New England Telephone Com
pany he was retained as manager for
several years of the Bradford, New
port and St. Johnsbury exchanges.
Mrs. Bingham, who was Miss
Mary Z. Higgins, was also born in
st. Johnsbury, July 80, 1847. She
is the daughter of Leonard Higgins,
who lived at that time in Goss Hol-
low. Her father died when she was
about IL years old and she lived for
a short time with an uncle in Burke.
Later she returned to St. JOhnsbury
and was clerk in the store of the late
Samuel Higgins before her marriage.
They were married at her mothers
home in Cohoes, N. Y, Oct. 16, 1869.
The date of the marriage had to be
postponed several days as Mr. Bing-
ham could not leave St. Johnsbury
early in the week owing to the can
collation. of train service in this sec
ton. This interruption was caused
by the greatest freshet in st. Johns
bury's history. They returned to 81
Johnsbury after the wedding where
they have since resided and where
both have been active in the social
and religious life of the community
Their only child, Miss Katherine M.
Bingham will assist in receiving the
guests at today's reception.