John Logan Bird, Great Nephew of Jonathan Bird

John Logan Bird was born in Arkansas, 1873, the son of William and Matilda Hemby Bird. His father died in 1881 when John L. was six years old. At age 17 he was teaching in the public schools in Arkansas. During this time he read law under Judge Scott of Waldron. He was licensed to practice law in Arkansas and the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) at age 21. His great uncle, Captain Jonathan Bird, and his band of 40 Rangers built Bird's Fort in 1840^* in what is now Tarrant County Texas.

In 1885 he moved to Texas with his mother, and they settled near Chalk Mountain. Again he started teaching at Fairview and studying to pass the Texas Bar Examination.

Clifford Davis Bird was born in McLennan County in 1880 in the same house her father was born in. She moved to Bosque County at the age of six months with her parents, James and Ella Davis. She came of pioneer stock for McLennan County was named for her great grandfather, a Scotsman who was the first settler there in 1836.

Clifford attended Central College in Walnut Springs, graduated from Buffalo Gap College, and attended North Texas Normal College (now North Texas State University) for two years. She was a lovely young woman, belle of the dance floor in Bosque County and Waco, an excellent horsewoman and speaker. In 1906 she married Logan Bird. Both became civic leaders, active in both state and local affairs. They were always ready and willing to work for what was best for their community and their fellowman.

Mr. Bird served as a justice of the peace, mayor, president of the school board, steward in the Methodist Church, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and served three terms in the Texas legislature. He also was a veteran of the Spanish-American War. He was a member of the Texas Bar Association, the Masonic Lodge, Knights of Templar and the Shrine and Eastern Star.

The first paper preceding the Walnut Springs Hustler was the Bosque Favorite, a four page, six column folio published by Mrs. Bird and Hugh Wilbanks with Dave Morris as editor. The paper was destroyed by fire about 1901. With Dave and Fred Morris, Mr. Bird opened a new division in Walnut Springs called Fairview.

After her marriage, Clifford was a home-maker. Four children were born to this couple: Wynette and John Logan, Jr. died as children, Loraine was born in 1912, and William Davis in 1914. In 1916 she started an insurance business in her husband's office which she ran until she was 80 when a heart attack curtailed her activities.

When Loraine started to school Clifford became active in the Parents-Teachers Association and made the speech at the opening of school each year until Billy graduated. During the Great Depression of the 1930's she added a collection agency to her business and collected electric bills and assessed and collected school taxes.

She was for many years a member of the Circulating Library Club (CLC) and kept their library in her office. She joined the Eastern Star in 1919 and spent much time and effort in developing the chapter. She held every office, elective or appointive. During the Depression she served as Worthy Matron six times to prevent the demise of the chapter. She also prevailed upon Mr. Bird to serve as Worthy Patron during this period. She attended many Grand Chapter meetings and served as Deputy Matron for a number of years for Bosque, Coryell, and Hamilton Counties and a part of McLennan County. Although she was brought up Scotch Presbyterian, there was no Presbyterian Church in Walnut Springs so she joined and became a worker in the Methodist Church. She was an organizer of the Walnut Springs Cemetery Association.

The Bird home was always open to young people in the community. For many years the Junior-Senior Party was held there and many other parties for young people. Mrs. Matilda Bird married Mr. Weehunt after coming to Texas. After his death she lived with the Bird family until her death in 1923 at the age of 74.

After finishing high school, Loraine attended the University of Texas at Austin and received a degree in 1935. She was a member of Phi Mu Sorority and a Bluebonnet Belle. She taught one year in the Walnut Springs Public School and in 1936 she married Landon A. Freear, an investment banker in Fort Worth where they made their home. Landon died in 1979 and is buried in Walnut Springs in the Bird Plot, a town he adopted and loved.

Loraine (Polly) was a member of the Canwich Club, the Junior Woman's Club and sailed small boats with Landon at the Fort Worth Boat Club. She served as president of the Officers' Wives Club and was a volunteer in the base hospital while Landon was in the Air Force during World War II.

She was active in fraternity affairs, a tireless worker quick to mobilize all forces to attack a problem and won the respect of the Men's Greek Letter organizations as well as the women's. She served as president of Phi Mu during its Centennial year in 1952. She was the first woman to be president of the Interfraternity Research and Advisory Committee and presided at the Bicentennial celebration of fraternity in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1976. She has held many offices in Phi Mu and chaired many committees in National Panhellenic Conference.

She is a member of the Hewel Charity Ball and an officer in the Garden Club. In 1980 she married Charles Edwin Booth, a friend since college days. They live in Fort Worth.

Bill Bird served as a junior steward in the Methodist Church. He attended John Tarleton College. He was an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine and served in both the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. He married June Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Jones of Walnut Spring, in 1942. They had one child, Carol, now Mrs. James Peacock of Pasadena, Texas. Bill died in 1966 and June in 1979.

by Mrs. Charles E. Booth

^*Factual error: Bird's Fort was built in 1841.