3 Minute History Lesson: ‘Binghamton’

It's typical that when you live in one place, or in my case, born in Binghamton, you really don't know too much about the history of your city because you take it for granted.  You don't realize it until you have people visiting you from outside the area.

So how did Binghamton receive it's name?  It's interesting to note the person who the town, later to become a city was named after, William Bingham never stepped foot in these parts, having died an early death in 1804.   Bingham was a rich banker based in Philadelphia.

According to GoBroomeCounty.org, Bingham hired a land merchant to explore the land that caught his attention because of the two rivers that would meet together in what we now know as Binghamton.  It was Bingham that was an early believer in this "land of opportunity."

Tioga County was once under the jurisdiction of Binghamton but later separated after being named after a Revolutionary War veteran and then Lieutenant-Governor John Broome.  Binghamton became part of Broome County in 1806.

It's the people of the past that made Broome County and Binghamton so great with a strong ethnic population and diversity of hard working people that contributed to our rich history.  We've seen a lot of change but I'm always happy to call Binghamton my home.

[via GoBroomeCounty.org]