Mower County transcript., 1891-05-20
PROMINENT MEN AND WOMEN
OF MOWER COUETY.

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George Baird.
Among the old settlers of this county,
George Baird of Austin deserves pro-
minent place. He is one of the few who
came to this county in 1856, when every
thing was in its primitive condition. He
came with nothing in the line of worldly
possession and can well sympathise with
others who roughed it here during the
early davs of our county history. By
sheer persistency and Yankee grit, he
pushed ahead through obstacles until
today he finds himself with good income
| and surrounded with comforts.
George Bard was born in Munsonville,
N. e., July %, 1885, His parents were
of Scotch descent. He was direct de-
scendant of Andrew Beard who came over
in the Mayflower on its second trip which
brought Gov. Endicott to this country.
The name was afterwards changed to
Baird. When he was very young his
parents moved to New Haven, Conn.
His father was piano maker and tuner.
He had learned the trade in New, York
and was an expert. He and his brother
opened a manufactury in New Haven.
One of the pianos manufactured by them
is still owned by one of the Baird family.
1t IS a rosewood square piano and is still
considered an excellent instrument.
Young George went into his fathers shop
to work as soon as he was old enough,
polishing piano KEYS with pumice stone
and making and covering by machinery
thousands Of guitar strings. He still has
his fathers complete set of tuning
implements. He worked in his fathers
shop until be was Is years, old when he
was bound out until 81 wears Of age ii :
cabinet makers shop. He received $25
year and board for the first years work.
He worked IA hours day IN the summer
and 10 in the winter. After sometime at
this trade, he bought his time and went
into the business of carriage body build
ing and finishing. In the spring Of 1854,
he went to work at this trade at Mays
! vile, KY but was taken sick and returned
to Connecticut.
In September, 1854, he came to Chicago
and went into carriage shop with John
J. Wright who had learned the trade in
the same shop with Baird. They made
| the first light buggy work ever turned
out in Chicago. That city then contained
about 10000 inhabitants. Their shop
was on Clark street. near 10Th St. on the
extreme outskirts of the city as it then
was. He was married on June 18, 1856 to
Miss Charlotte E. Brown, who had come
to Chicago with her parents the previous
year from her birthplace Worcester, Mass.
Soon after they were married, they moved
to Racine, Wis. where a brother-in-law
Richard Hunt had gone and opened up a
carriage shop. Mrs. Baird's father had
also moved there and was machinist IN
the employ of J. l. Case. The next year
the family went to Sun Prairie, Wis. and
in September, 1856, Mr.. Bard came to
Mower County to look for land. It was
his ambition to own quarter section OF
land and he came out here where Uncle
Sam was giving it away. He preempted
the northwest quarter of section % in the
town of Lansing tour miles northwest OF
Austin. Richard Hunt and William
Hunt were already in the neighborhood
also Jonas HaneY and John Revord
Toward Moscow, Michael Murphy was
the nearest neighbor. Mr.. Baird com
menced a log house, the first with {
shingle roof in the town. but did not ge
it finished until the next spring. Mrs
} Baird came out from Sun. Prairie ir
December and had most trying
experience on the way to Austin. The
railroad came only to Muscoda and thu
rest of the journey of sixteen days was By
stage. The snow was very deep and tht
cold extreme. Mrs. Baird was the onl,
: woman in the party. tits wonder tha
the whole company did not perish
When MIR. Balrd reached this county
his worldly wealth amounted to $40 IL
cash. He went to work at carpenterlns
on the Headquarters building with Dav,
Mollison. He afterwards bought an az,
and went into partnership with Charli,
Huntin the rail splitting business They
. split 8, 600 for Mr.. Carter who then live,
on the Sterling place, $500 for Snow an,
Wilbour southwest Of Austin and 10
for Jerry Yates in Lansing. The,