Sullivan County PA Archives Biographies.....BIRD, Ulysses 1856 - living in 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com June 30, 2005, 7:02 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Company ULYSSES BIRD, a representative farmer and surveyor of Elkland township, is descended from one of the oldest families of Sullivan County. He is a son of George C. and Harriet (Kaye) Bird, and was born on the farm on which he now resides, October 3, 1856. The great-grandfather of our subject, Powell Bird, was born in Norfolk, England, and came to this country in 1792, locating in Northumberland County, Pa. He made the acquaintance of Dr. Joseph Priestly, who owned extensive landed interests in what is now Sullivan County, and offered choice tracts of land as an inducement to the early settlers to make that their home. In 1794 Mr. Bird located on a tract of 150 acres, all of which was located in Forks township on the Little Loyalsock Creek, upon which J. K. Bird now resides, and, with William Molyneux and John Warren, was the first to locate in the county. They all lived within a few miles of each other, each having cleared a piece of land on which to erect log cabins and then been joined by their families. The centennial of the settlement of these three old pioneer families was celebrated at the Forks-ville Fair, October 5, 1894, and excited much favorable comment. This hardy old ancestor of our subject devoted the remainder of his life to clearing up the place. Being a weaver by trade he built a loom and wove all of the cloth for his own family and neighbors. Living as they did out in the forest far from civilization with none but the wild animals for friends, these pioneers met with many thrilling experiences and at times narrowly averted death. Mr. Bird was a man of education and during the last years of his life acted as local Baptist minister. It may indeed be said that his was an exemplary life, one of which his descendants are justly proud. He married Lydia Hannant and they became the parents of twenty-one children, nineteen daughters and two sons, the following being the only ones of whom there is any record: Mrs. Mary Jones; George; Mrs. Rebecca Molyneux, the first white child born in Sullivan County, who was born June 1, 1797; Mrs. Sarah Bennett; Mrs. Ruth Bennett; Mrs. Lydia Yours; Mrs. Eleanor Bull; Esther; Philip I.; Mrs. Elizabeth Summers; and Iona. Powell Bird lived to the age of eighty years, dying April 13, 1829; his wife died June 29, 1832, both being buried in the Bird family cemetery, a portion of the original purchase. George Bird, the grandfather of our subject, was born in 1790 and after reaching manhood inherited the old homestead upon which he built the frame house, which is still standing and in good condition. He followed farming all of his life and, as his sons grew up, with their aid built and operated a saw-mill, the lumber from which he floated down the river on rafts to market. He was a Whig in politics. Mr. Bird was famous as a hunter and killed many panthers and wolves and bears without limit. He once saved the life of his nephew, Job Summers, by despatching a panther which held Mr. Summers in its embrace. Mr. Bird married Sarah King and their children were as follows: Phoebe, who married John Fawcett; Powell, who married Sarah Molyneux; Mary, who married Thomas Norton; Thomas, who died in early youth; Esther, who married Richard Biddle; Lydia, who married Joseph Fawcett; Charles, who married Harriet Molyneux; William, who died at an early age; George C.; Ann; and John K., who married Carrie Yonkin. Mr. Bird died on July 14, 1872, and his wife passed away in 1867 at the age of seventy-nine years. George C. Bird, our subject's father, was born on the old homestead February 14, 1829. He assisted his father in the duties about the farm until 1855 when he purchased a tract of 106 acres on the Strong Run Creek. At the time of his purchase the tract was a gilder-ness untouched by the hand of man, and after clearing fifteen acres he erected a board cabin, the lumber for which was obtained with great difficulty, a portion of it being carried by hand, as there were no wagon roads. There he located with his bride, and they have lived there to this day, clearing away the forest and converting the land into rich and cultivated fields. After a time the cabin became unsuited to the marked advancement which had been made in other particulars and in 1857 it was replaced by a commodious house. Mr. Bird took great pleasure in hunting and fishing. He killed several bears, about 300 deer and scores of small game. Game became scarce in his locality and he made several trips up the West Branch of the Susquehanna River on most successful hunting expeditions. Although Mr. Bird is now almost three-score and ten he is hale and hearty and his business transactions are extensive, he being a large dealer in lumber. Politically he is a stancli Republican and has served as jury commissioner and assessor, and has filled a number of township offices. He is a man of marked ability and is well known to the citizens throughout his section of the county. His union with Harriet Kaye resulted in the following offspring: Ulysses; Alma, who is the wife of W. E. Miller; Mary, the wife of G. C. Birdsall; Jennie., wife of J. P. Rogers; Nellie, who married Charles Clark; and Isadore, who married B. R. Plotts. Ulysses Bird, the subject of this biographical record, attended the public schools and the Normal National University of Lebanon, Ohio, where he took a special course in surveying and bookkeeping, graduating with high honors in the class of 1885. Our subject has a permanent certificate from the state for teaching and has already taught twelve terms. He has since devoted his time principally to farming and surveying in Sullivan and Bradford counties, being highly successful. In 1885 he purchased fifty-six acres of the old homestead farm, upon which he built a fine modern home, and has since bought an additional tract of one hundred and fifty acres of timberland, engaging in lumbering to a great extent. He is a man of exceptional business ability, honest and energetic, and he occupies a high place in the estimation of his fellow-citizens. Mr. Bird has held all the offices in the Sullivan County Agricultural Society and at this date is president of the organization. Mr. Bird was united in marriage with Emma McCadden, a daughter of Thomas and Hannah (Lockwood) McCadden Thomas McCadden was born in England in 1832 and came to the United States in 1868, locating in Philadelphia. At the time of his death, in 1898, he was living in the city of Brooklyn. He was the father of the following children: Joseph; Mary; Joseph; Alfred; George; Emma; Herbert; Mary H.; Selina; James; Earnest; Lillie; Dora; Delbert; and Arthur. Our subject and his wife are the happy parents of five children: Carl Orlando, born April 28, 1886; LaRue, born April 5,1887; Victor, born January 18, 1889; Lloyd Vernon, born September 7, 1890; and Myra, born October 29, 1894. Mr. Bird has been a life-long Republican and he has served as school director, county auditor for six years, for ten years as justice of the peace, and in 1890 he was census enumerator. In religious views he is a Wesleyan Methodist. He is a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America and of the Grange. His portrait is shown on another page of this work. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 7.9 Kb