George Bingham

George Bingham. The career of George Bingham is a noble illustration of what independence, self-faith and persistency can accomplish in America. He is a self-made man in the most significant sense of the word, for no one helped him in a financial way and he is practically self-educated. For a number of years he conducted a general store at Franklin, in Oakland county, and since 1909 he has been most successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising on his fine estate of one hundred acres in Southfield township.

A native of Oakland county, Michigan, George Bingham was born in Bloomfield township, the date of his birth being the 25th of December, 1865. His father, David Bingham, was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 19, 1839, and in his native land he grew to maturity and was educated, immigrating to the United States at the age of eighteen years, in 1857. Landing in New York City, he remained in that metropolis for some three months and then came west to Michigan, locating in Pontiac, where he remained until 1862 and where he was variously engaged, working for a time in the R. B. Morris hardware store. For a short period he was employed on Crowfoot Farm, now within the city limits of Pontiac, and from there he came to Bloomfield township, bringing with him his wife and one son. He settled on a farm of forty acres and resided thereon until 1872, after which he moved to a farm of fifty acres in West Bloomfield township where he remained until 1880, and then locating in Southfield township, he remained there until his demise in 1898. David Bingham was twice married, his first union having been to Eliza Forman, a native of Lincolnshire, England, and a daughter of William Forman. She died in 1868, the mother of five children, as follows, — William D., who died in 1881; Lorenzo D. is a resident of Southfield township; George is the immediate subject of this review; Addie is the wife of Ezra C. Bristol; and Ida is deceased. On January 25, 1 87 1, was solemnized the marriage of David Bingham to Miss Mary E. Simpson, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Patten) Simpson, of New York City. This union was prolific of two children, namely, — Charles A., of Southfield township, and Floy E., who died at the age of about two years.,

George Bingham was reared to adult age on the home farm, in the work and management of which he early became associated with his father, and he was educated in the district schools of Bloomfield and Southfield townships. Lie remained at home until he had reached his twenty-fourth year, when he went to Franklin and began to clerk in the store of A. A. Rust. Three years later, in 1892, he purchased a half interest in the store and the business was conducted under the firm name of A. A. Rust & Bingham. In 1898 he became sole owner of the store and in 1904 removed his stock of merchandise to a new building, the one now occupied by John Currin. Mr. Bingham was assistant postmaster until 1903, when he was appointed postmaster, by President Roosevelt. In March, 1909, he disposed of his store to John Currin, Jr., and since that time he has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits in Southfield township, where he is the owner of a fine estate of one hundred acres, located in section 5. He has achieved remarkable success both as merchant and farmer and ranks as one of the substantial citizens of Oakland county.

In politics Mr. Bingham is a stalwart Republican and he "has been incumbent of a number of important offices of a local nature. He was township treasurer in 1891-2; was postmaster at Franklin for six years; and was township supervisor in 1894, 1897, 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1903. Fraternally he is affiliated with Birmingham Lodge, No. 44, Free and Accepted Masons; Birmingham Chapter, No. 97, Royal Arch Masons; and Pontiac Commandery, No. 2, Knights Templar, at Pontiac. He and his wife are valued members of the Gleaners and they are likewise connected with the Methodist Protestant church at Franklin.

On November 26, 1891, Mr. Bingham married Alice G. Rust, a daughter of A. A. Rust, who died in 1904 and with whom Mr. Bingham was formerly associated in business at Franklin. She died September 8, 1901. On January 14, 1903, Mr. Bingham was united in marriage to Miss Clara M. Cox, a daughter of James Cox, of Southfield township. Three children have been born to the latter union, namely, — George A., Florence E. and James Howard. The two older children are pupils in the Southfield school.

WiLLTAM A. Bristol is now living retired on his splendid farm of two hundred and five acres in sections 4 and 9, Southfield township, Oakland county, Michigan. He is a citizen of prominence in this section of the state and one who has ever given freely of his aid and influence in support of all measures and enterprises tending to advance the general welfare of the community in which he lives. He has held a number of local offices of public trust and responsibility and has acquitted himself with all of honor and distinction in discharging the duties connected therewith.

A native of the Empire state of the Union, Wiliam A. Bristol was born in Livingston county. New York, July 21, 1830, and he is a son of Eli H. and Lucy (Sterling) Bristol, both of whom were likewise born in Livingston county, New York, where they grew up and were married. In regard to the early ancestry of the Bristol family, it is said that in the colonial days three brothers came to America from Bristol, England, and after settling in this country assumed the name of Bristol, their old home. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this review was Miles Bristol, who passed his entire life time in the east. Lucy Sterling was the daughter of James and Mabel Sterling, both representatives of old eastern families, probably of English descent. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Eli H. Bristol lived in New York for five years, at the expiration of which they removed to Michigan, locating at Three Rivers, in St. Joseph county, where they resided from 1835 to 1846. In the latter year they removed to Commerce township, Oakland county, settling on a farm for which they had traded their old home in St. Joseph county. In the spring of 1852 they moved to Avon township, this county and five or six years later they settled in Pontiac, where he died July 29, 1871, and she passed away at the home of her son in Southfield township in 1900. They were the parents of six children, concerning whom the following data are here entered, — William A. is the immediate subject of this review; James S. is a farmer in New Hampshire; Melancton B. was killed in St. Louis by a collision of cars; Mary

C. died at the age of ten years; Mabel C. died in New York as the wife of George McMillan; and Maria C. died in Pontiac, Michigan, as the wife of Samuel F. Street.

William A. Bristol resided on his father's farm until he had reached his legal majority and he was educated in the district schools in the various places where the family home was maintained. He also attended Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and the Michigan State Normal. For a number of years he taught school during the winter terms and after his marriage in 1856, he was engaged in farming and teaching until he settled on his present estate, which now comprises two hundred and five acres of some of the most fertile land in Oakland county. He is a Republican in politics and has been incumbent of the following offices: Supervisor of Southfield township for two years, town treasurer for eight years, justice of the peace for two terms and school inspector for a number of years. He and his wife are devout Presbyterians in their religious faith. As Mr. Bristol has now reached the venerable age of eighty-two years, he contents himself with giving his farm a general supervision, his son Ezra really having the management of the place.

On November 11, 1856, Mr. Bristol was united in marriage to Miss Clarissa Daniels, a daughter of John and Julia (Clark) Daniels, the former of whom was born in Vermont and the latter in Massachusetts. After reaching young manhood John Daniels moved to New York, where he met Julia Clark, who had been brought thither by her parents when a mere child. They were married in New York, in 1824, and immediately after that event came to Michigan and settled in a shanty in Southfield which he had erected a short time before coming here wih his wife. Later they erected a more comfortable dwelling, where they resided until their respective deaths, in 1861 and 1895. They had seven children, — Samuel, deceased; Clarissa, who is Mrs. Bristol; John and Ezra B., both deceased; Lycurgus L., living on a farm in Southfield township; Mary, who was the wife of Daniel Bassett at the time of her death in Birmingham, Michigan; and Edwin E., who died as a small child. Mr. and Mrs. Bristol have one child, Ezra, who manager the farm for his father and who is the owner of a tract of forty acres of land adjoining the parental estate.

HosEA D. Beei5E, a prominent farmer, dairyman and fruitgrower on his fine estate of eighty acres in section 7, Southfield township, Oakland county, Michigan, is an influential citizen of this section of the state, where he has resided during practically his entire lifetime thus far. Mr. Beebe was born on the farm on which he now resides, the date of his nativity being the loth of February, 1854. He is a son of David and Cornelia (DeBree) Beebe, the former of whom was summoned to the life eternal in 1885 and the latter of whom passed away in 1895. David Beebe was born in Monroe county, New York, in 1824, and was a son of David Beebe, Sr., who was likewise a native of the Empire state of the Union. The senior Beebe lived in New York until 183 1, when he came west, settling in Southfield township and purchasing the farm of one hundred and sixty acres on which he resided during the remainder of his life. Here David Beebe, Jr., was reared to maturity and here he married Cornelia DeBree, who was born near The Hague, in Holland, in 1829, and who was a daughter of Anthony DeBree. She was reared to the age of sixteen years in her native land and in 1845 accompanied her parents to America. The DeBree family located in Southfield township, in Oakland county, and here resided for a period of ten years, at the expiration of which they removed to Greenville, Montcalm county, Michigan, where they lived the remainder of their days. Mr. and Mrs. David Beebe became the parents of seven children, three of whom are living, in 1912, namely, — Anna, wife of John Bell, of Birmingham, Michigan; Justina, wife of William Bell, of Birmingham; and Hosea D., whose name forms the caption for this article:

To the public schools of Southfield township Hosea D. Beebe is indebted for his preliminary educational training, which he has since supplemented with extensive reading and home study. As a young man he settled in the village of Franklin, where he was engaged in the mercantile business fkor one year, at the end of which he went to Wixom, there engaging in the manufacturing of cheese, which line of enterprise he followed for the ensuing three years. In 1891 he settled on a farm in Bloomfield township and one year later he made his home on his present estate, which he inherited from his father. He devotes his attention to general farming, dairy work and the raising of fruit, and his beautiful estate of eighty acres is tone of the most prosperous looking places in the county. In politics Mr. Beebe supports the principles of the Republican party and in a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Knights of the Maccabees at Franklin.

In 1885 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Beebe to Miss Nellie G. Cox, a daughter of Dr. Henry S. Cox, of Franklin. Mrs. Beebe passed away March 23,.1906, mourned by a large circle of loving and admiring friends. Five children were born to this union, as follows: Albert Henry, who married Caroline Jacobs, resides at Southfield; Grace C. is the wife of Mortimer Voorhees, of Pontiac; George M. resides in the city of Detroit; Howard D. is attending business college at Pontiac; and Harrol is a pupil in the Southfield school.

As printed in History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.