GIRD Biography #3 by John Albert GIRD

GIRD Biography #3 by John Albert GIRD

The following information was compiled in 1970 by John Albert Gird,
Grandson of Levi Gird, and great-grandson of John Gird; John Gird
Was a brother to Henry Hatton Gird III.

Henry Gird, came here from Wexford, Ireland. He was Col. In the
Englich Army. He settled in Arrington, Va., bought a place from
George Washington, which is \still in the familu and occupied by his
Granddaughter, Mrs. Franklin.

John Gird was one of the sons of Henry Gird II, coming to Cedar Lake
with his mother about 1812, from New York City. His mother was
Mary, daughter of Richard E. Smith, who settled on Cedar Lake
farm, now owned by the Masonic Club. Mary Smith, first, had married
Joseph Crane, Cranes Corners, Herkimer Co., N. Y. Mr. Crane was a
sea Captain. They had two children when he was lost at sea. Mary
later married Henry Hatton Gird II, his first marriage. Mary moved
to her fathers home at Cedar Lake with six children, when Henry
Gird died. He had left her with four children of his own, however we
do not know how many children they had.

John Gird married Laura King, daughter of Sylvanius and Sarah King.
He is supposed to be a descendant of Wm. King, who came over on the
Mayflower, one of the family that was first Governor of Maine. John
And Laura had ten children:
1. Henry S. Gird b. July 19, 1827
2. Mary Gird b. Dec. 25, 1832
3. John King Gird b. Aug. 21, 1829
4. Richard Gird b. March 28, 1836
5. Ellen Gird b. April 20, 1838
6. Levi John Gird b. July 15, 1843
7. William King Gird b. July 15, 1845
8. Edward Gird b. Oct. 11, 1841
9. Emily Laura ?Gird b. June 27, 1847
10. Lili b. ?
Information on above:
1. Henry never married, had a ranch and mining business in Alex-
andria Valley, Sonoma County, California. He died on his
ranch, April 1, 1907, and is buried there.
2. Mary lived in Chicago, caring for an ailing sister, Lili.
Later went to California with another sister, Ellen. Mary
was living with Richard, a brother, in Chino when she died.
3. John died April 30, 1847, no record showing cause of death.
4. Richard married Nellie McCarty from York, Maine. Well known
For Tombstone Mine, and his farming in Chino, California.
He died May 29, 1910.
5. Ellen married Horace Martin, lived in Chicago, and later in
California, near Richard. Horace was a very nice man, according
to Richard. Horace was a civil engineer and surveyor, doing
work for the State of California. He invented elevators for
buildings and hotels. He invented the torpedo discharger for
boats, but this country did not use it until after the war.
Belgium did use it, and this country went back to it later.
He also designed hydraulic pumps for pumping water.

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Page 1 of 2

6. Levi John was a civil engineer, did much work surveying in
Arizona, New Mexico, and California. He charted the entire
Coastline of California, and much of the coastline of Alaska.
He made a reservoir for the City of Tuscon, Arizona. It was
made right in the rocks, quite a thing to do, as this was
before 1902.
He married Maria Goodier, who died March 29, 1875, soon after
The birth of their son, John Marius Gird, born March 17, 1875.
Soon after this, Levi John went to Arizona and California to
See his brothers Richard and William. Levi John died at
Chico (sic) Ranch in California June 2, 1902.
According to family letters, Levi John and William King were
educated at Cornell.
7. William King had the first saw mill in Arizona Territory. He
Cut and sawed logs for the mines. He invented the first re-
frigerator cars to carry fruit and other perishables to the
central and eastern cities. The family has pictures and patens
for this car from the patent office. He was inter-
ested in the Middle March Copper mines with Levi John and
some others. This mine Charter ran out in 1841. Present
owners unknown. The mine is in Cochise County. William
later sold real estate. He did not return to New York after
brothers Richard and Levi John died. William died March 4,
1920, was cremated, his ashes ashes were sent home in time
to be buried with his sister Emily Laura, in the Gird Cemetery
Cedar Lake, Herkimer County, New York.
8. Edward was an inventor, doing more than William. He made a
Machine to make pleats in men and womens shirts. He patented
a budding knife for pruning and grafting trees. His last
invention was the babcock Milk Testor. From some letters in
an old trunk, evidently he did not have the money to patent
this testor, so he let Mr. Babcock patent it. He never
realized anything from his inventions. He never married.
Family letters show he died at a very young age, about 27.
9. Emily Laura stayed on the family farm until John Marius was
About 22 years old. She married Rodney Wilcox and went to
Illinois to live. Wilcox had a dairy business there. When
He died she returned to Cedar Lake to live with her nephew,
John Marius. She died August 1921 and is buried in the Gird
Cemetery, Cedar Lake, N. Y.
10. Lili stayed in Chicago with her sisters Mary Gird and Ellen
Martin.
Descendants of Levi John Gird:
6. Levi John Gird born March 17, 1875, Cedar Lake, married
Maud S. Jones of Wilks-Barre, Pa., on June 21, 1904. Maud
Died June 24, 1945. John M. died November 18, 1858, Ilion, N. Y.
One son, John Albert Gird, born October 17, 1905 at
Cedar Lake. Married Jessie Corr who was born April 21,
1913 at Verona, N. Y. They had three daughters:

(The rest of the Biography has been omitted to protect the Privacy of LIVING Decendants)

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