Backus Birchard is descended through both paternal and maternal lines from old and distinguished pioneer families of New England. He traces his descent in an unbroken line back to Thomas Birchard, who married Mary Robinson in England and with his family came to Massachusetts in the year 1635. Mary Robinson was probably a daughter of John Robinson, pastor of the congregation of dissenters, who to escape persecution in England emigrated to Holland in 1608, and whose family, after his death, came to New England to join that portion of his society who came over in the "Mayflower" and settled at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. Their son, John Birchard, was one of the proprietors to whom the Indian chief Uncas and his sons by formal deed in 1659, for a consideration of seventy pounds, granted a tract nine miles square on which the City of Norwich, Connecticut, now stands, and on which he settled in 1660. On the mother's side Mr. Birchard traces his lineage back to John Dixwell, who came from England in 1660 on account of a little unpleasantness between himself and Charles II, arising out of the fact that he was one of the judges who condemned and sentenced Charles I to be executed in 1649.
Backus Birchard was born March 29, 1812, at Birchardville, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, which town was named in honor of his father. He is the son of Jabez A. and Mary Birchard, née Downee, who were married at Bozra, Connecticut, January 27, 1799, and settled at Ruby, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in 1800. Ruby was then in the wilderness, and is now known as Birchardville, Susquehanna County. He was the first postmaster at Birchardville, and held that office through several administrations. He removed to the Township of Pleasant Valley, Scott County, Iowa, in the spring of 1846, and died there in 1848, aged seventy-three years.
Backus Birchard was brought up as a farmer's son, attending school only about three months in the winter of each year and working on the farm the remainder of the year. He remained with his father till he was twenty-two years of age, when he left home and found employment in laying stone on a lock that was being built at Chenango, New York. Here he had charge of a gang of laborers, and for three years was employed on this canal as a mason. He was then employed for several years on the Erie canal, superintending the stone work in enlarging the locks of this canal and making other improvements.
In 1839 he came west, and in the summer of 1840 was engaged on the Rock river improvements as foreman of the masonry work at Vanruffs island, now Milan. He then returned east, and for some years was engaged on various public improvements, railroad building, etc., in New York and Pennsylvania. In 1845-46 he was one of a party who, employed by New York capitalists, explored the copper regions of Lake Superior, remaining there through the winter to hold a claim. Mr. Birchard's father-in-law was one of the stockholders in this company. In 1856-57-58 he was contractor on some of the heaviest grading work on the Erie Railroad. His last work in this line was in building a railroad from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to Elmira, New York; twenty-five miles of this road (known as the Ralston Railroad) he rebuilt, and laid the track and ballasted fifty miles more. He also helped build the railroad from Corning, New York, to Batavia, making his home for two years of that time at Bath and the balance of the time at Elmira.
In 1855 he determined to retire from this line of work and came west for the second time to a home he had purchased in 1840 in Pleasant Valley Township, Scott County, Iowa. Here he made his home, leading the quiet life of a farmer until 1890. when he removed to the City of Davenport, making his home with his son, William J., an attorney of this city.
Most of the four-score years of Mr. Birchard's life has been spent, it will be observed, in active pursuits. He was for many years one of that band of men, so few of whom are now left, who were the pioneer railroad builders of our country, and thus helped to bring about the greatest transformation in the life and business methods of the people ever known in the history of the world. The era of railroad building probably marked the greatest step forward which the records of our civilization can show, and the men who assisted in bringing about this wonderful change will always be regarded with interest and are well worthy a page in their country's history.
Mr. Birchard married in 1842 Marie, daughter of William J. and Lucy Marlette of Glenville, New York Of five children born of this, union only two are living, viz: Lucy, wife of W. A. Foster of Chicago, and William J. Mrs. Birchard died in 1882, and his youngest daughter, Ida, wife of Charles E. LaGrange, in 1892.
BIOGRAPHIES