Biography - Charles Mortimer Bingham

With its superior advantages for fruit growing and its wealth of timber resources, Volusia county would need no other attraction to make it the land of opportunity for those who are possessed of enterprise and industry. Its splendid beach and famous resort towns, however, bring thousands of pleasure-seekers and tourists, and they serve to redouble the commercial activity of the already prosperous and substantial towns. The natural beauty of the county is nowhere surpassed, and untold numbers of winter residents own their homes, and others, as they come, seek favorable sites to build or buy the property that is already improved. While every line of business is active, and there is no lack of opportunity for profitable employment, the real estate business is one that may be engaged in with unusual advantage, and the capable and enterprising man finds ample reward for his industry.

Prominent among the successful real estate men of the county is Charles Mortimer Bingham, of Daytona, who has been interested in real estate and insurance for many years, and has, as a result of his attention to duty, coupled with unflagging energy and enterprise, been enabled to acquire other valuable interests. He is a progressive, public spirited man, who takes an active interest in the development and improvement of his town. He is always ready to give freely his time and services. Since early manhood he has been interested in military affairs, and after a long and honorable career was retired at his own request when he was Colonel in command of the Second Regiment.

Col. Bingham is of English descent, and comes of a pioneer family, his first American ancestor having been Thomas Bingham, who came from England and settled at Norwich, Conn., in 1642. There was also an Irish branch of the family who were early settlers in North Carolina. He is distantly related to Brigadier-General Thos. A. Bingham, formerly of the United States Army, and now police commissioner of New York City, and to Col. Robt. Bingham, of the famous Bingham School, at Asheville, N. C. Col. Bingham was born at Waukesha, Wis., December 15, 1865, his parents being Chas. Mortimer and Myra P. Osborne Bingham. His father was a Congregational minister, a man of refinement and education, and his home training was an education in itself.

He attended the public schools, however, at the places of his youthful residence. He came to Daytona in October, 1880, when about fifteen years of age, and has made his home here ever since.

He first began business life in 1884, when he engaged in writing insurance. He soon formed a partnership with Lawrence Thompson, under the firm name of Bingham and Thompson. They took up the real estate business in connection with insurance, and since their firm was first organized, have been uniformly successful. They have been of inestimable service in attracting both capital and settlers, and have done much in the way of development, handling the sites of many of the beautiful homes in the section.

Col. Bingham has also served his town and county. He was for a time deputy county clerk. He has served as city clerk and tax assessor of Daytona, and has been a member and president of the city council for several years. In 1901 he formed a partnership with J. D. Maley, under the firm name of the Bingham-Maley Co., of which he was made president. The company deals largely in high grade furniture, and also does an undertaking business. By reason of his business ability and interest in this company he was for a time secretary of the Florida State Funeral Directors' and Embalmers' Association. For over twenty-two years he was prominently identified with military affairs. He was one of the charter member of Company K, of the Second Regiment of the Florida State Troops, which was organized in 1884. He rose steadily in official rank until he was Colonel of the Second Regiment. In 1906 he was retired at his own request He has always been a student of the world's history, and believes that the interests of this country could be best served if the people would study the history and experience of the older nations and profit by their wisdom and avoid their mistakes. In business, he is an advocate and believer in the principles of the Golden Rule, and says that a good motto in any business is, "What you do, do right." In national affairs, he believes that the monetary system should be revised, and that the trusts should be regulated and controlled, and is in favor of building up a big navy and perfecting the coast defenses. In the State he believes that it would be to Florida's best interests to advertise her splendid resources and great possibilities to the world, and in this way attract the enterprising, industrious people who will find here the opportunity which they seek. Religiously, he is a member of the Congregational Church, and in politics, is a Democrat. In fraternal and social societies, he is a prominent member of the Free and Accepted Masons, being a Knight Templar and a member of the Mystic Shrine, of the Knights of Pythias, the Knights of Honor, a charter member of the Daytona Auto Club, and also a charter member of the Halifax Yacht Club.

Col. Bingham was married November, 1883, to Helen Maley, a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Jno. C. and Elizabeth J. Keyes Maley, of Daytona, Fla. They had four children, including Mrs. F. B. Wright, of St. Augustine, and Elizabeth, Lilian and Florence Bingham. Mrs. Bingham was called to the other world in 1900, and in 1902 Col. Bingham was married to Mrs. Emma E. Botsford, who was a daughter of Thomas Jones, of Ontario, Canada. They had one son, Walter Bingham, prior to Mrs. Bingham's death in 1907.

Contributed 18 Aug 2020 by Norma Hass from 1909 Makers of America, An Historical and Biographical Work by an Able Corps of Writers, Volume 2, pages 189-191.