Robert Bingham was born in Ontario in 1814, the son of recent English immigrants. Though born of modest stock, he was a man of ambition and considerable business acumen who rose to become a successful hotelier in 19th century Bradford.
Bingham arrived in Bradford around 1860 to establish an inn with the accurate if unimaginative name of Bingham's Hotel. He didn’t build the hotel from scratch, however. Instead, he took over an established inn that began life in 1831 at Edmanson’s Tavern, and which had continued to cater to road-weary travelers ever since. What Bingham did, however, was elevate the hotel to new heights with such amenities as a bar room that served fine liquors and cigars and a coach service picking up train passengers from the station down the street.
Yonge Street was the main thoroughfare from Toronto to Barrie and so Bingham’s Hotel was extremely busy, allowing the establishment to flourish. Robert prospered and had the luxury of owning one of the grandest homes in Bradford (the same home once owned by Reverend Egerton Yonge, who we met last month).
Robert Bingham passed away in his bed in 1892, at the age of 78, survived by six children.
And his hotel? It's still there, at 71 and 73 Holland Street East, though now occupied as residential units
