John Avery Bingham Family History - Hand Co., SD Genealogy & Family Research

John Avery Bingham
Family History
Written & submitted by John A. Bingham 1982
From OUR WESSINGTON HERITAGE
"A History of Wessington, South Dakota 1882-1982 - Centennial Edition" - page 83

I, John Avery Bingham, was the grandson of John James Bingham who was born in New York state and grew to manhood in Illinois. He came to Dakota Territory and filed in land northwest of Wessington in 1882. He brought his wife and seven children in the spring of 1883. They lived in a dugout in the bank of Wolf Creek until a house was built. Three men had lived in the dugout the winter before.

My father, George B. Bingham, was the third child of John James, and I, John Bingham, was his third son. He and Mary Kenyon were married in 1895. The Kenyon family family had come to Dakota Territory in 1884 from Wisconsin. My parent had five boys and then two girls. The youngest is Mrs. Ben Hansen of Wolsey.

In the days of our youth, it was different than today. In winter, we skated on ice ponds and made snowmen, etc. In the spring we watched the ducks and geese fly over, listened to the booming of the prairie chickens and watched for the meadow larks and other birds. Then came new baby colts, calves, and pigs, and we tried to find where the mother cat had her family hid. When summer came, we looked for flowers, bird nests, and buffalo beans on the prairie. Most of this was done barefoot in summer.

We boys also had chores. We went to school 1 1/4 miles from home across the prairie or around the road with friends. Sometimes we rode or drove a horse. Often there were three on the same horse. We also knew which pony could run the fastest.

The time came when the eighth grade examination was to be taken at the county seat. Carroll Bottum and I drove a horse and buggy to Vayland, put the horse in the livery barn, and took the train to Miller. We registered at the Vanderbilt Hotel. The next morning we went to the Hand County Courthouse to take the test. I think it took two days. We checked out of the hotel around 6:00 the next morning. It was an experience, for our travels in those days were only about as far as a horse could travel in a few hours.

We reached Vayland okay. I think the horse was as ready to go home as the boys. Did you ever see a horse that was from home for a few days? If not, then you have missed a lot of fun. They sometimes start off on their hind legs. I wonder what a horse has to tell when he gets home. It seems to me that eighth grade boys back in those days were much more mature than they are today. Am I wrong?

The farm was a real place to live, so I was going to farm (good or bad) with two dollar hogs, not much crop, dust storms, and no money in the "Dirty Thirties".

I sold Watkins Products in east Faulk and north Spink counties, 1934, 1935, and 1936. It was hard to sell when people had little money.

In June of 1935, I rented a house in Ashton, and Lala Westenhaver and I were married in Aberdeen, June 18, 1935. We went to the Black Hills for a few days in a 1928 Chevrolet.

We came back on the farm in 1937 to farm one-half section with two hundred acres of crop land. I broke the neighbor's colts for power to farm. In 1940, we bought a 1926 or 1927 Farmall tractor with steel wheels.

We moved on the Wilhelm Moller farm, February 14, 1941. Like many people at that time, we would rather rent than own. We couldn't forget the depressing times of a few years before. The insurance company that had foreclosed on these farms wanted to sell, so after three crops it was buy or move. We disliked moving and liked the farm, the community, and the neighbors, so with pressure from the fieldman for the company, we decided to buy, wondering if we had made the wise or right decision. HHowever, we have enjoyed our home as well as our friends and neighbors.

In the mid 1940's, we adopted three children: Helen, 10 years old, Gary, nearly three, and Larry, 21 months.

We have had busy and many happy times. Much more could be said about a wonderful span of time.

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Additional Info:

JOHN A BINGHAM 20 Oct 1900 05 Mar 1998 (V) 57718 (Black Hawk, Meade, SD) (none specified) 504-40-6295 South Dakota

LALA H BINGHAM 03 Oct 1905 24 Oct 1997 (V) 57718 (Black Hawk, Meade, SD) (none specified) 504-56-2874 South Dakota

LARRY BINGHAM 11 Sep 1944 Dec 1978 (not specified) (none specified) 504-50-4041 South Dakota

No SSDI:
GARY BINGHAM b. 04 Jul 1943 d. 19 Jul 2005 ...have short obit & photo