Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Kirby, George W. January 8, 1893
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Pat Blood pat.blood@gmail.com March 28, 2010, 1:14 pm

Portland Observer – Wednesday, 25 January 1893
The following is clipped from the Atlanta (Georgia) Journal of the 13th 
inst:  “Died at his residence, 297 South Forsyth street, Atlanta, Ga., at 2:30 
o’clock p.m. on Sunday, the 8th of January, George W. Kirby, Sr., in his sixty-
sixth year.  The interment took place in Westview cemetery on Monday at 3 p.m. 
after funeral services at the residence a large concourse of relatives and 
friends being present, and the Rev. C. P. Williston officiating.  The floral 
offerings were both numerous and lovely.”
A large number of our readers will remember the gentleman above referred to as 
having kept, several years ago, first in the second story of the building now 
occupied by Wood & Hendee, and later in the room now occupied as Union Hall, 
over the post office, quite an extensive museum in connection with his trade 
of sign painting.  He was an eccentric old gentleman, but under his paint 
stained clothes he had a big heart and under his old cap he had a brain larger 
than a majority of those who thought him a “crank”.
Years ago he went away from Portland and the above will be the first knowledge 
the people of Portland will have as to his whereabouts and which will recall 
the memory of a person long ago forgotten.  In connection with this we give 
place to the following clipped from the Journal, which is interesting reading 
concerning a piece of work executed by Mr. Kirby and which has been considered 
of enough importance to be mentioned by the World’s Fair Commission in some of 
their matter sent out to the press of the country:
“George W. Kirby, Sr., whose death at his home on South Forsyth street last 
Sunday has been noted in the Journal, was well known, both in Atlanta, where 
he had resided for a number of years, and throughout Georgia, Florida and 
Illinois, in all three of which states he had occupied positions of 
prominence.  He was a native of Cincinnati and by profession a geologist and 
scientist.  He served for a number of years on the government geological 
survey in Illinois and surrounding states.  Some seven years ago he came south 
on the same service and was employed in Georgia and Florida.  He was in the 
government employ at the time of his death.
“Mr. Kirby had conceived a plan for a mammoth painting illustrating the “Pre-
historic World”, and intended to portray the affiliation and inter-dependence 
of science and theology.  These paintings were to be in a series, all executed 
in oil on canvasses twelve feet square.  Mr. Kirby has been at work on this 
remarkable painting about six years, and the total length of the canvasses 
completed at the time of his death was 5120 feet, almost a mile.  The cost of 
the work up to date has been $9,500.  He had determined to complete and 
exhibit his life work at the world’s fair, and space had been secured for it.  
His son will see that his wish is executed and that the painting is on view at 
Chicago this year.
“Mr. Kirby was an enthusiast in his chosen science.  He had had much 
experience as a lecturer and was widely known among the geologists of the 
country.  He was in his sixty-sixth year.  He left three children, only one of 
whom, his son, Mr. George W. Kirby, Jr., is living in Atlanta.”
The son referred to in the above is the “kid” who used to be running about 
Portland’s streets, but who now is an expert stenographer, reporting in the 
city courts of Atlanta, and being instructor in a stenographic institute.



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