Created by Brian

Matthew Bird

Birth

May 1830

England

Death

18 May 1908 (aged 77–78)

Seattle, King County, Washington, USA

Burial

Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Seattle, King County, Washington, USA

Plot

Memorial ID

5209169

Husband of Jane McClay

Father of Fletcher, Laura, and Milton



REV. MATHEW BIRD, a native of England located in Iowa in 1852 having come direct from his home place. In 1865, he removed to Bozeman, Montana, and in 1885 to the Wenatchee country, from which it may be seen that he spent the greater portion of his life on the frontier. He was a veteran of the Civil War, fighting for the union cause. While in Iowa he followed various occupations. In 1862 he was married to Miss Jane McClay of Iowa. Three children were born to this union: Fletcher M., Milton W., and Laura. During his twenty years residence in Montana he followed farm­ing, though devoting much time to the ministry as a pas­tor of the Methodist Church. For four years he was in the government service at the Crow Indian Agency, as an instructor during the week and on Sunday conduct­ing religious service. Soon after reaching the Wenatchee country, he purchased 160 acres of land facing on Miller and Fifth Streets. Some of the Clark orchards were planted on this tract. Also from the northeast corner of this quarter section was taken a block from the land for the old town of Wenatchee on Miller Street. At about the same time, he, with his son F. M. Bird, located on Wheeler Hill, each filing on a quarter section of land, and they promptly joined the company formed for the construction of the Wheeler Hill Ditch.
So far as known, Mr. Bird was the first man to con­duct religious service for a white congregation in this section of North Central Washington. About the year 1889, Mr. and Mrs. Bird, having sold their holdings in Wenatchee Flat to the Wenatchee Development Company, removed to Ellensburg, thence a few years later to Seattle, where soon after both passed away at a good old age. The daughter Laura died about the year 1916.

A History of Central Washington
By Lindley M. Hull, 1929

Buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery AKA Free Methodist Cemetery , Seattle IOOF Cemetery