The Bird Families of Henry County, Iowa

WELLINGTON BIRD, M. D.

No biographical review of Henry county would be complete without mention of Dr. Wellington Bird, deceased, who for many years was a leading representative of the medical fraternity in Mount Pleasant and the surrounding districts. He came here at a day when the practice of medicine was brought with many- personal hardships and difficulties, necessitating, long rides with sparsely settled districts over poor roads. He was born in Columbiana county, Pennsylvania, in 181 7. His paternal grandfather was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. William Bird, the father, was a resident of Columbiana county, Pennsylvania, and there followed the blacksmith's trade for many years but in old age he and his wife came to the west and died at the home of their son, Dr. Bird, in Mount Pleasant.

In the county of his nativity Dr. Bird began his education. His father desired that he should learn and follow the blacksmith's trade but this did not prove congenial and giving up the work he entered a store. While thus employed he devoted every leisure moment to reading and studying. His employer noticing this asked his purpose, and finding that he wished to become a physician, said that he would give him the necessary assistance, and did so, sending him to Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, from which institution he was graduated about 1840. He then located for practice at Fredericktown, Ohio, and his capability in accordance with the standard of medical practice at that time brought him a good patronage. He was married to Miss Thornton, of Columbiana county, Pennsylvania, and they began their domestic life at Fredericktown, where they resided for a brief period, after which they came to Mount Pleasant, arriving here in the year 1849. He was the first regularly educated physician to enter upon practice here, and for many years he continued as a followed of his chosen calling, devoting his time and energies to the active work of the profession until within a few years of his death. As is usual in a frontier community he had a large country practice which called him to the four corners of the county, occasioning him to make long drives through the hot summer sun or the winter's cold. He regarded no personal discomfort or sacrifice on his part too great if it would enable him to alleviate human suffering or restore health and through his scientific interest in the profession and his desire to gam a competence through years of practice he displayed broad humanitarian principles and deep sympathy. At the time of the Civil war he became assistant surgeon in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry but later resigned on account of his age.

Dr. Bird was one of the organizers of the Forest Home cemetery, securing the plans for this and personally superintending their adoption and in the practical work of laying out the cemetery, which is still in use. At that time it was owned by a corporate concern but now belongs to the city. Dr. Bird was also one of the active trustees of the Iowa Wesleyan University and acted in that capacity when it needed the helpful co-operation of its board in order to place it upon a paying basis. Both he and his wife held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and he was also one of its officers and a liberal contributor toward its first house of worship. His life was indeed filled with good deeds and worthy actions and was characterized by high and many principles. His wife, who was born in 1818, passed away August 13, 1895, at the age of seventy-seven years, while he survived until August, 1897, having reached the age of eighty years when called to his final rest. His memory, however, is enshrined in the hearts of many who knew him and who benefited by his professional services or his charity and enjoyed his companionship and friendship.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

HIRAAI T. BIRD.

Hiram T. Bird, who for a quarter of a century has been engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in Mount Pleasant, where his position in commercial circles is among the foremost because of his unremitting diligence and his employment of methods that neither seek nor require disguise, was born in Knox county, Ohio, July 14, 1846. His parents were Dr. Wellington and Sarah (Thornton) Bird, -ho came to this state with their son Hiram in his early boyhood days and here he acquired his early education, afterward attending the Iowa Wesleyan L'university until 1863. He then enlisted for service in the medical department of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry as surgeon's steward, joining his regiment at Davenport, going south with that command, which was attached to Sherman's army and went with him on the celebrated march to the sea. Mr. Bird was captured at Atlanta, on the 30th of July, 1864, and was imprisoned at both ]Macon and Charleston, but afterward was released with a number. of surgeons at the latter place and again joined his regiment, which was stationed on the Tennessee river, just Ijefore Hood crossed that stream on his way to Nashville. Mr. Bird participated with his regiment in the battles of Frank- Hn and Nashville, and in the following spring took part in the Wilson Cavalry raid through Alabama and Georgia, being engaged on that raid at the time of the close of the war. He was then mustered out at Macon, Georgia, in the fall of 1865. Part of the cavalry corps captured Jefferson Davis.

With a creditable military record ]\Mr. Bird returned to his home to enter business life in Mount Pleasant, where he has since figured as a leading and trustworthy representative of commercial interests. He first engaged in the drug business, with which he was connected for fourteen years, conducting a store on the Brazelton House corner. On selling out there he purchased an old-established business on North Jefferson street that has now been conducted as a furniture store for fifty years. Since 1879 he has been alone in his mercantile operations there, occupying the three floors of the store on Jefferson street opposite the Harlem House, the store being one hundred and fifty feet deep. The undertaking business was also established previous to the time of his purchase, but he has made improvements along that line and no\\' has a fine chapel, in which funeral services may be held by those who are residing temporarily in the city. In the face of competition and not without difficulties and obstacles, ]\Mr. Bird has succeeded in building up a business of great volume and importance, having a thoroughly equipped furniture store, in which he carries a large line of furniture of various grades, meeting the varied tastes of his patrons. As the years have passed he has added largely to his furniture stock.

keeping in touch with the modern progress of the trade, and his annual sales are represented by a large figure. He has also made a study of embalming, and is the possessor of certificate No. 25, which was accorded to the first class examined according to state law in 1898. During the quarter of a century' with which he has been connected with the undertaking business he has superintended nearly four thousand interment, and there are now almost as many names upon his books as there are living inhabitants in the city.

On the 1 8th of August, 1868, Mr. Bird was united in marriage to Miss Florence AIcLaran, of Mount Pleasant, a daughter of James McLaran, one of the early merchants of this city. They have one daughter, Clara, now the wife of F. Kopp, a rising young attorney and postmaster of Mount Pleasant. The parents are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which !\Mr. Bird has served as stead and also as treasurer of the board of trustees. Identified with various social organizations, he now belongs to Mount Pleasant Lodge, No. 8, Ancient Free and Acepted Masons; Mystic Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and McFarland Post, Grand Army of the Re])public. In politics an earnest republican, he has twice served as a member of the city council of the second ward. His home is on North [Main street and he has lived within one block of the present site for fifty-six years. His parents' old home site is now occupied by the public library building. There is perhaps no resident of Mount Pleasant who has more intimate knowledge of the history of the city, its advantages, improvements and advancement than has Mr. Bird, who for more than a half century has witnessed its growth and through long years has taken an active part in the progress that conserves commercial development and the general prosperity of the community. He has made a business record as creditable as it is honorable, and in the healthful growth of trade has won the success which constitutes the goal of all business endeavor.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE W. BIRD.

George W. Bird owns, occupies and operates a valuable farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres situated on sections 25 and 36, Marion township. The place is known as the Spring Brook farm, and is a value)le property, which in its neat and thrifty appearance indicates the careful supervision and progressive methods of the owner. His birth occurred in Marion township, August 25. 1868, his parents being James W. and Deborah Elizabeth (White) Bird. The father, Rev. James Bird, was born in Pennsylvania, February 14. 1820, and was raised and educated in the same community. Upon leaving the Keystone state he removed to Ohio, and in 1844 came to Iowa, settling in Marion township, Henry county. He cast in his lot with the pioneer residents and was deeply interested in the growth and progress of the community as it developed from primitive conditions and took on all the improvements of an advanced civilization. Mr. Bird was a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church, and at different times held both the Washington and Eureka circuits, besides preaching many times to fill vacancies. He was called upon very frequently to officiate at funerals and has performed innumerable marriage ceremonies, many still living in this community for whom he tied the nuptial knot. He also preached in Ohio before his removal to the middle west.

Flis study of the political issues of the day led him to give his support to the Republican party, and he was likewise interested in the public schools, being school trustee, school director, and president of the board. On November 3, 1865. he was united in marriage to Deborah E. White, born in Virginia, Januaiy 4. 1834. Her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Kibbler) Wdiite. with their family, drove through from Wirginia to Iowa in 1846, and settled in Jefferson township, when neighbors were few and far between. In religious belief Mr. White was a Quaker, and politically a whig. Death claimed him in 1856. and his widow in 1875. Miss dote was raised in Jefferson township and finished her education in the Iowa Wesleyan University, later teaching in the country schools for fourteen years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bird were born six children, of whom five are yet living: Pearl I. married to Miss Clara Deal and resides in Scott township, near Mount Union, Iowa; George W., of this review; Alary Bessie, married to L. W. Cutlerand living at Shell Lake, Wisconsin; Frank A., who married Blanche Augusta Courtney ankl resides in Alount Pleasant; and Jennie L.,who makes her home with her mother, in Alount Pleasant. Mr. Bird was claimed by death in May, 1893, but his widow is still living, and at the age of seventy-two years is enjoying excellent health for a person of her age.

George W. Bird is indebted to the public school system of Marion township for the educational privileges he enjoyed. Through the months of vacation he assisted in the labors of the fields and devoted his attention to the further improvement of the home property. After leaving school he continued with his father until the time of his marriage. That important event in his life occurred on the 3d of March, 1891, Miss Letitia Heston becoming his wife. She was born in Batavia, New York, October 3, 1863, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Canby) Heston. The father followed farming in the east, and after removing to the west, in 1874, settled upon a farm in Marion township, Henry county, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death, on the 24th of May, 1891. His widow still survives him and is now living in Albany, Oregon, at the age of about seventy-seven years, her Ijirth having occurred in 1829, while ]Mr. Heston was born in 1820.

Mr. Heston endorsed republican principles, served as a school officer, and for fifteen or twenty years acted as school treasurer in Marion township. He held membership in the Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Heston is still a communicant. In their family were eight children, of whom six are living: Rachel, who resides with her brother in Seattle, Washington; Mary, the wife of Edward Price, of Albany, Oregon; Esther, who for ten years has been employed in the pension office at Des Moines; Letitia, now Mrs., Bird; George, who married Lizzie Leonard (now deceased), residing in Seattle; and Elizabeth, the wife of Reuben Golden, of Shell Lake.

Mr. and Mrs. Bird have three children, and the family circle yet remains unbroken by the hand of death. These are: Florence, born October 22, 1892; Esther, born June 4, 1896; and Ralph, born April 29, 1902. The family home stands in a finely improved tract of land of one hundred and seventy-five acres, well known in this part of the state as the Spring Brook farm. The place is attractive in its many improvements and well kept appearance, and Mr. Bird has here carried in general agricultural pursuits since 1893. " is also a stock raiser buys and sells cattle and hogs, and deals quite extensively in horses, and his close application to his business and his unfaltering perseverance constitute the secret of his unvarying and unbounded success.

Mr. Bird votes with the Republican party and has served as township trustee, but is not a politician in the sense of office seeking, although he keeps well informed on the questions of the day and is loyal to the principles in which he believes. He belongs to Henry Lodge, No. 10, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Mount Pleasant, and also to the Modern Woodmen of America Camp, No. 625. Mrs. Bird is a member of the Episcopal church. They are highly esteemed people of the community, and Mr. Bird is a worthy son of Henry county, being a typically representative citizen, possessing the enterprise which has been the dominant factor in the upbuilding of the middle west.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.