Nation's Oldest Man

Bangor once had a man who lived to be 126 years old. Rated as the oldest citizen of the United State at the time of his death, Henry Banks died in Bangor December 11, 1918. He was born in Kentucky in 1792.
Mr. Banks was a young man during the war of 1812, and had a part in the transfer of troops to New Orleans. At that time he was still living in Kentucky. He had made his escape from slavery through the underground railroad into Canada. After a time there, he came back to his country at Detroit, where he married Hannah Richards, a free woman.
They attempted to return South, but heard from other ex-slaves of the conditions there and came back to Michigan, where they purchased some land near Bloomingdale. They lived there until Mrs. Banks died in 1872. After his children had grown up, Henry moved to a small farm north of Bangor, where he remained until his death. His daughter, Mrs. William Chase. came to live with him during the later years.
Mr. Banks was well known in this section of the state, and received a great deal of national publicity after passing the century mark. His pictures were published repeatedly on each birthday, and the news of his death was carried by the national wire services.
He remained hale and hearty until about nine weeks before his death, and loved to re-tell his friends of his early days in slavery, the Civil War and the War of 1812. He professed Christianity at the late date of 1913, and joined the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Bangor.
Investigated repeatedly for the truth and accuracy of his story, Mr. Banks proved his birth date and other facts with paper clippings and very accurate memory for names and dates, so that he was generally accepted as the oldest person in the country for several years prior to his death.

Information for this article, which appeared in The Bangor Advance many years ago, was gathered by B.M. Sherrod and loaned to The Advance by his son, Arthur Sherrod.