Bird, Judson Slatford
Judson Slatford Bird (October 9, 1846 - March 19, 1882) was an American civil engineer. Born on a farm outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, Bird attended the University of Michigan and graduated in 1870. After graduating, Bird published city maps under the imprint Taylor and Bird. In 1871 he was appointed City Engineer for Jackson, Michigan, and, by 1872, was operating the firm Bird, Mickle, and Waters on the side and publishing a map of 'one city per month'. In 1874 he was operating J. S. Bird and Company in Jackson, Michigan. By 1876 Bird had relocated to Blue Rapids, Kansas, where he was part of the Bird and Mickle Map Company with George W. Mickle. The firm published a large map of Marshall County, Kansas, in 1880, per his obituary. From newspaper articles we know that Bird and Mickle also published a map of Nemaha County, Nebraska; Davis County, Kansas; and Dickinson County, Kansas. They also published a plat book of Clay County, Kansas. However, another newspaper notice from 1878 stated that the Bird and Mickle Map Company had been 'adjudged bankrupts on their own petition'. Bird died on the evening of March 19, 1882, 'of cerebro-spinal affection' (likely meningitis). He married Mary Emily Sears (1838 - May 23, 1934) in 1873, with whom he had two children.
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