History of Binghamton, New York, USA

1854 - Binghampton
Binghampton, a post-village in Chenango township, and capital of Broom county, New York, at the junction of the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers, where the former is crossed by the New York and Erie railroad, 225 miles from New York city. It is handsomely laid out, and contains 3 or 4 news paper offices, 7 or 8 churches, about 50 stores and warehouses, 9 or 10 manufactories, 2 banks, and several schools. The flour and lumber trade are extensively carried on. Excellent water-power is furnished by the Chenango river. Wooden bridges connect the main village with the opposite sides of the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers. The Chenango canal unites Binghampton with Utica. The place was settled in 1787 by Mr. Bingham, from whom it received its name, and was incorporated in 1818. Population of the township, 8734; of the village of Binghampton, about 5000.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

1870 - THE INEBRIATE ASYLUM FIRE. THE REAR BUILDING BURNED - THE MAIN EDIFICE UNINJURED - LOSS $75,000 - SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
From the Binghamton Republican, March 5.
At between 11 and 12 o'clock last night, a fire caught in the rear of the New York State Inebriate Asylum, and in three quarters of an hour the entire rear building - directly connected with the main building, but not part of it - was wholly destroyed. By almost superhuman exertion the fire was kept from the main edifice, and that now stands substantially uninjured. The burned part, which covered a space of not far from 200 feet square, though a portion of it was used as a court yard, &c., contained the great dining room, provision rooms, kitchen, and about all the accommodations for operating the Asylum. It is impossible to determine accurately what the loss is, but it can scarcely fall below $75,000, and may exceed that sum.

The fireman, who was in his place, that adjoined the carpenter shop, says that not long before he saw the light, and raised the alarm, he heard a noise, as of somebody moving in the direction of the carpenter shop; he ... Read MORE...

1871 - January 3 - Oleomargarine patented by Henry Bradley, Binghamton, NY

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January 3, 1871

1892 - Train Wreck
Binghamton Fatal Railroad Accident

One man was killed and six others were seriously injured in a wreck which occurred on the Erie Railway, about a mile west of this city, October 6. A crew was engaged in switching cars in the west end of the company's yards, when the engine was derailed. A wrecking engine was sent to the scene and through a misunderstanding or carelessness on the part of the engineer, the wrecker crashed into the disabled train. John Maber, who occupied the pilet of the wrecking engine, jumped. He was thrown forward and his brains were dashed out against a rail which he struck head first.
Irish World & American Industrial Liberator
New York, New York
October 15, 1892

1895 - Binghamton
Binghamton, a thriving city, the capital of Broome co., N.Y., is pleasantly situated on the Susquehanna River, where it is joined by its Chenango tributary, and on the Erie Railroad, 215 miles N.W. of New York, 59 miles E. of Elmira, and 80 miles S. by E. from Syracuse. It is the southern terminus of the Syracuse, Binghampton & New York Railroad, and the southwestern terminus of the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, by which it is 142 miles from Albany. Another railroad extends southward to Scranton. It contains 12 churches, a high school, a Catholic academy, 4 national banks, 2 other banks, the New York State Hospital for the Insane (the principal building of which is about 365 feet long, and built of stone and brick), and manufactures of flour, steam engines, carriages, leather, and boots and shoes. Four daily and 6 weekly news papers are published here. Pop. in 1870, 12,692; in 1880, 17,317; in 1890, 35,005.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott

1910 - INJURIES PROVED FATAL Howard R. Whaley, D., L. & W. Fireman Died at Hospital of the Good Shepherd.
HOWARD R. WHALEY, 23 years old, of 507 South Wilbur avenue, died at the Hospital of the Good Shepherd at [illegible] o'clock this morning of injuries received by falling from an engine in the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad yards at Binghamton on Monday. Whaley, who was employed by the company as locomotive fireman, lost his balance and struck one of the pits where the engines are dumped. He sustained a concussion of the brain and bruises over his left eye. He was brought to this city and taken to the hospital in a serious condition, where he died. The remains were sent to Auburn this morning. The funeral will be held there on Monday from the home of his parents.
Syracuse Herald
Syracuse, New York
February 5, 1910

1913 - 50 GIRLS DIE AS FACTORY IS BURNED. SCORE MORTALLY HURT IN HOSPITALS. DIG RUINS FOR BODIES. WHEN ALARM RUNG THOUGHT IT FIRE DRILL; BURNING WALLS COLLAPSE.
VICTIMS HURLED TO DEATH WHILE SPECTATORS ARE HELPLESS - PITIFUL SCENES AS RELATIVES SEEK LOVED ONES.

Binghamton, N. Y., July 23 - Thousands came from surrounding towns and villages today and watched the grewsome work of searching for bodies in the ruins of the factory fire, the biggest disaster in a decade in this city.

A few minutes before 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon the clang of the automatic fire alarm gong stopped the busy fingers of 125 young girls at work over the machines of the Binghamton Clothing company. They were not startled or alarmed.

"It's only another one of those old fire drills. I'm not going down into the street dressed as I am and make a show of myself."

The girls, most of them, settled back to work. Two minutes later they were dying miserably in flames and smoke or crushing each other in hopeless attempts to escape down a single stairway and the two narrow fire ladders. In eighteen minutes the four story factory of "approved factory construction" was ... Read MORE...

1916
Binghamton, a city, the capital of Broome co., N.T., is pleasantly situated on the Susquehanna River where it is joined by the Chenango, and is on the Erie, the Lackawanna and the Delaware and Hudson Rs.. 215 miles NW. of New York and 80 miles S. by E. of Syracuse. It is the seat of several collegiate institutions and of the New York State Hospital for the Insane and the Susquehanna Valley and St. Mary's homes for orphan children. The city has a state armory. The leading manufactures are of flour, engines, carriages, scales, electric appliances, glass, leather, pottery, etc. The cigar-industry is very important. Pop. in 1880, 17,317; in 1890, 35,005; in 1900, 39,647.

Binghamton, a township (town) of Broome oo., N.Y., adjoins the city of Binghamton. Pop. in 1900, 847.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher

1924 - Binghamton
The township of Binghamton lies in the southen tier of Broome county, and was originally included in the territory now known as Dickinson, with some small part of the present city limits. The records show that an act was passed by the board of supervisors of Broome county on the 3d of December, 1855, providing that territory should be taken from the township of Chenango sufficient for two new townships, to be known as Binghamton, and Fenton, or Port Crane. This action was ratified by an act of the Legislature, dated in 1856. In 1867 the city was entirely separated from the outlying township, leaving Binghamton township with 15,955 acres of land, reaching from the southern boundary of the city to the Pennsylvania State line.

The first settlers in the township were Ezra and Ira Keeler, who took up their farms on the Binghamton tract about the beginning of the nineteenth century. These men, however, do not appear to have acquired title to the land they occupied, and the same may be... Read MORE...

1933 - 14 KILLED, 100 HURT AS ERIE MILK TRAIN SMASHES REAR OF TRAIN NO. 8 AT BINGHAMTON.
FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND RAILROAD OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE FIRST ERIE WRECK CLAIMING LIVES IN YEARS - WOODRUFF DECLARES ENGINEER KING OF FREIGHT ADMITS KNOWING TRACK NOT CLEAR - WOODEN COACH SMASHED.

Binghamton, Sept. 6 (AP) - Fourteen persons were killed and more than 100 injured on the eastern outskirts of the city last night when a milk train crashed into the rear of Train 8, the "Atlantic Express," on the Erie Railroad, eastbound.

The passenger train had stopped because of a switching crew that was working on the main line ahead. Flagman A. C. MORRIS of Hornell had been sent out to protect the rear of the Chicago-New York passenger train. He had affixed torpedoes to the rails.

The milk train, heavily laden, bound from Hornell to Hoboken, ploughed into the steel coach at the rear of the flier. The terrific impact demolished a wooden coach just ahead of the steel car. Most of the dead and injured were taken from the wreckage of the wooden coach.

The List Of Dead
HARRY... Read MORE...

1941 - THREE DIE IN PLANE CRASH.
Binghamton, N.Y. - DAN McNALLY, a Baltimore evangelist, his wife and four-year-old daughter, KITTY were killed when their private airplane crashed at Tri-Cities airport and burst into flames on a takeoff.
Coroner S. C. McManis said the plane lost speed and nosed down at the end of the runway. The plane exploded as it struck, he said.
McNALLY, a private pilot credited with eighteen hours flying time, had opened an evangelestic campaign at the Park Avenue Baptist Church here Easter Sunday.
Olean Times-Herald
New York
April 15, 1941

1949 - December 1 - WBNG TV channel 12 in Binghamton, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting

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1972 - Hurricane Agnes
"In June 1972, Hurricane Agnes hit the East Coast with a monstrous and devastating force, bringing a deluge across multiple states and slamming four counties in the Southern Tier: Steuben, Chemung, Tioga, and Broome. Dozens died and property damage ran into the millions as Corning, Elmira, Owego, Binghamton, and other communities suddenly found themselves under water. The flood destroyed the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, staggered the Penn Central, shut down Corning Glass Works for weeks, and devastated the Corning Museum of Glass―a major cultural resource. Lives and landscapes were forever changed when homes and businesses washed away in a matter of minutes. Henceforth, the region’s history became permanently divided into the times before and the times after the 1972 flood. Through stunning images, The 1972 Flood in New York’s Southern Tier chronicles the extraordinary destruction of twisted rail lines, devastated streets, exhausted recovery workers, rivers bursting their banks, cars on... Read MORE...

Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Binghamton:
Roberson Museum and Science Center: Start your Binghamton journey at this multifaceted institution. The Roberson Museum features art exhibitions, historical displays, and interactive science exhibits. It's a great place for families and curious minds alike.

Binghamton University: Explore the beautiful campus of Binghamton University, known for its stunning architecture and vibrant academic community. Check out the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, which hosts various cultural events throughout the year.

Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park: Enjoy a day at the Binghamton Zoo, one of the oldest in the country. It's home to a diverse range of animals from around the world, making it a great place for wildlife enthusiasts.

Cutler Botanic Garden: Stroll through the tranquil Cutler Botanic Garden, a hidden gem within Binghamton. It's a lovely spot to enjoy nature and take in the seasonal blooms.

Vestal Rail Trail: Lace up your sneakers or grab your bike and explore the Vestal Rail ... Read MORE...