Name/Title
Charles E. BirdEntry/Object ID
1989.01.26Description
A. Original studio portrait of Charles E. Bird as a mature man looking directly into the camera lens, 5x3.5"
B. Modern photographic copy of portrait of Mr. Bird as a young man with dark hair and a drooping mustache, 6x4"
C. Modern photographic copy of Mr. Bird as an elderly man beside his spouse Hattie Bird, 5x3.5"
D. Modern photographic copy of Mr. and Mrs. Bird's 1876 marriage certificate (partial), 7x5"
Original accession number is 89-1-26Photograph Details
Type of Photograph
Print, photographSubject Person or Organization
Bird, Charles Edmund Sr. 1855-1941, 306 Butler/Landsharks/Tripp's/Kruger's/C.E. Bird's/Ensign Drug Store/Wilcox Building, Rogers & Bird Shipyard/Line, Bird, Harriet “Hattie” Louise (Moffat) (Wright) 1855-1944Context
As a teenager, Charles Bird apprenticed at the Ensign Drug Store in Saugatuck. When Mr. Bird was in his 20s, he bought the Drug Store business from Mr. Ensign and ran it for 50 years.
Along with R.T. Rogers, Charles E. Bird operated a ship-building company that produced steamships between 1885 and 1898. The first boat completed was the A.B. Taylor, named for a prominent local businessman. The shipyard was at 340-360 Water Street in Saugatuck, just upriver from Wicks Park. The site later owned by R.R. Phelps. Bird also owned a warehouse in Saugatuck and a pier at Pier Cove. He purchased the old Heath grist mill site on April 16, 1886. Rogers sold his shipyard interest to Calvin Whitney in 1896 and all boats were sold in 1889, due to the bad condition of the Saugatuck harbor.
See Person Profile for more details.Collection
Commercial businesses, Nautical, Family HistoryCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
1989.01Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionLocation
Box
031 A+B+C+D Photo FilesCreate Date
October 5, 2023Update Date
February 6, 2026
