"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 340.
 
FRANCIS M. BYRD

     Among the builders of the west and earliest settlers of Whitman county must
be mentioned the man whose name appears as the caption of this article.  He was
a very old pioneer, his residence on the coast dating back to 1852, in which
year he crossed the plains to Oregon.  The next year he settled at Fort
Steillacoom, this state, where he erected a saw and grist-mill on a stream known
as Byrd's creek.  He afterwards moved to Seattle and engaged in farming in the
vicinity, remaining until 1878, which year witnessed his advent into Whitman
county.  He took a homestead and engaged in the business of cattle-raising and
agriculture, in which branch of human endeavor he continued to busy himself
until February 27, 1896, when he passed to the great beyond.  His remains lie
buried in Onica cemetery.
     Mr. Byrd was a potent force in the early development of state and county,
and was long regarded as one of the representative citizens of the Palouse
country.  In all respects his life was so ordered as to win and retain the good
will and kindly regard of those with whom he was thrown in contact, and his
standing in the various communities in which he lived was of the highest.
     The marriage of our subject was duly solemnized when Miss Sarah Gilbert
became his wife.  They became parents of nine children:  Orion, in Alaska;
Alfred, in Spokane; Francis, in California; Mary, now wife of George Johnson, of
this county; Alice, wife of J. V. Chamberlin, of Whitman county; Annie, wife of
R. F. Smith, of Colfax; William; Josie, wife of William Chamberlin, of this
county; and Eva, with her parents.
     Mr. William Byrd, now one of the enterprising stockmen and farmers of the
county, was born in Seattle, Washington, on November 9, 1869.  He resided there
until 1878, attending, after he became old enough, the public schools of the
town.  He then accompanied his parents to Whitman county, where he has since
resided, and where he now owns and farms three hundred and twenty acres, the
same being located five miles southwest of Wilcox.
     
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Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.