Bainbridge Cigar Manufactury (1882) - WWI Soldier Welcome Home (1919)

 

 Bainbridge Cigar Manufactory

 Chenango Union, Sept. 28, 1882

 

Bainbridge has a stock cigar manufactory, called "The Susquehanna Valley Cigar Manufactory," of which Hon. H.A. Clark, O.W. Day, Elliot Danforth, Esq., and W.C. Hickox are Trustees, and F.T. Nichols, Treasurer.  The factory is under the immediate supervision of George R. Wilcox of Binghamton, and his brother, J. Fred Wilcox, will act as commercial agent of the company. The factory rooms will embrace the entire upper rooms of the Mammoth Block.  Fifteen hands will be employed at the commencement, and soon several cigar makers with their families will remove from Binghamton, employees of the old firm of Wilcox Bros.  Bainbridge is fast becoming a manufacturing town, and setting an example worthy of imitation to towns of larger growth in the County.  Success to the enterprise, and an abundant reward to the public spirited citizens who are interested in it.

 

 

 Welcome Home for Bainbridge WWI Soldiers

 Norwich Sun, Sept. 23, 1919

 

Bainbridge:  Hundreds of people assembled at Hayes' Grove Saturday for the "Welcome Home" extended to the soldier boys.  The town was beautifully decorated with flags and bunting in honor of the occasion and the stores were closed from 1 to 4 o'clock.  The weather was warm and pleasant, and everything possible was done to make the day attractive to the homecoming soldiers.  At noon about 50 soldiers of the great war, with the veterans of the Civil War and the Spanish War sat down to a bountiful repast.  At the close Lieut. Irving Ives gracefully thanked the people of Bainbridge for their hearty support during the war and for their warm welcome home.  He then asked the hundreds present to stand while Bugler Charles Bentley sounded taps for the four young men from Bainbridge township who gave their lives for their country.  Three young men who took part in the war were not present.  These were Gervaise Prince and Earl French who are not yet released form the service and Leon Higgin, who is suffering from shell shock and a gas attack.  He was returned home on an invalid transport soon after the armistice was signed and for a time he seemed to improve but he is now seriously ill.  He was taken Sunday to the City Hospital in Binghamton.  The dance given in the evening in the Town Hall was very largely attended and greatly enjoyed by all.   An excellent orchestra from Oxford furnished the music.  All in all it was a most enjoyable and fitting celebration of the return of "our boys" to their old homes.