Bingham, Maine Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Bingham, Maine
Town
Welcome sign
Bingham, Maine Location in Maine
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Somerset
Settled	1785
Incorporated	February 6, 1812
Area
• Total	35.32 sq mi (91.48 km²)
• Land	34.91 sq mi (90.42 km²)
• Water	0.41 sq mi (1.06 km²) 1.16%
Elevation	728 ft (222 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	866
• Density	25/sq mi (9.6/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	04920
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-05000
GNIS feature ID	0582354

Bingham is a small town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. It's a historic place located right next to the Kennebec River. In 2020, about 866 people lived there.

Most of the people in Bingham live in the main part of town, which is known as the Bingham census-designated place.

History of Bingham
Geography of Bingham
- Bingham's Climate
People of Bingham
Famous People from Bingham
Images for kids
See also

History of Bingham

Bingham was first settled in 1785. The town gets its name from William Bingham, who was a banker and politician from Philadelphia. He once owned a huge amount of land in Maine, about two million acres, which was known as the Bingham Purchase.

The community officially became a town on February 6, 1812. By 1859, about 752 people lived there. At that time, Bingham had two sawmills that used water power to cut wood and two gristmills that ground grain.

Bingham is located on the Old Canada Road, which is now U. S. Route 201. From 1820 to 1860, this road was the main connection between Lower Canada (now part of Quebec) and Maine. Bingham also became an important place for the Maine Central Railroad. They would load pulpwood (wood used to make paper) that was floated down the Kennebec River. This continued until the 1970s, when new rules about protecting the environment stopped the practice of floating logs down the river.

Geography of Bingham

Bingham covers a total area of about 35.32 square miles (91.48 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 34.91 square miles (90.42 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.41 square miles (1.06 square kilometers), is water. The town's water flows into Jackson Brook and the Kennebec River.

The main roads that go through Bingham are U.S. Route 201 and Maine State Route 16. Bingham shares its borders with a few other towns: Moscow to the north, Brighton Plantation to the east, and Solon to the south.

Bingham's Climate

Bingham has a type of weather called a humid continental climate. This means the town experiences big changes in temperature throughout the year. Summers are usually warm to hot, and sometimes humid. Winters are cold, and can sometimes be very cold.

People of Bingham

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	336	—
1830	537	59.8%
1840	751	39.9%
1850	752	0.1%
1860	831	10.5%
1870	826	−0.6%
1880	828	0.2%
1890	757	−8.6%
1900	841	11.1%
1910	775	−7.8%
1920	1,143	47.5%
1930	1,592	39.3%
1940	1,210	−24.0%
1950	1,354	11.9%
1960	1,308	−3.4%
1970	1,254	−4.1%
1980	1,184	−5.6%
1990	1,230	3.9%
2000	989	−19.6%
2010	922	−6.8%
2020	866	−6.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 922 people living in Bingham. Most of the people were White (97.0%). A small number of residents were African American, Native American, or Asian. Some people identified with two or more races. About 0.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Bingham was about 45.7 years old. About 19.2% of the residents were under 18 years old.

Famous People from Bingham

Gadabout Gaddis – He was a pioneer in early television. He lived in Bingham, and the Gadabout Gaddis Airport was his main base. He bought the airport, which was built around 1950.
Bill Potter – He was a "singing cowboy" musician. He was born in Stratton but grew up in Bingham.