Harlan P. Bird

Harlan Page Bird (August 2, 1838 – November 24, 1912) was an American businessman and Republican politician. He served 8 years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing northeast Wisconsin.

Biography Harlan Page Bird was born on August 2, 1838, in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in public schools, and in his early life engaged in school teaching, land surveying, and bookkeeping.

He left his father's homestead in 1858 and was employed for two years as an accountant for a contractor constructing a water pumping project in Brooklyn, New York. On the completion of this project in 1860, Page was employed by the same company for their lumber operations in northern Wisconsin, and went to live at Menekaunee. The 12th Wisconsin Infantry mustered into federal service in October 1861 and proceeded to Missouri for service in the western theater of the war. After the first year, he was promoted to sergeant major of the regiment, but served only a few months before being commissioned second lieutenant of Company G.

In 1902 he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from Wisconsin's 1st State Senate district, running on the Republican Party ticket. He was re-elected in 1906 but suffered a stroke in 1910 and did not run for a third term.

He was in poor health following his stroke and remained in a feeble condition for the last two years of his life. He suffered subsequent strokes and died at his home in Wausaukee on November 24, 1912.

Personal life and family Harlan P. Bird married twice. He first married Sarah Jane Fairchild in 1869. Sarah was the daughter of Marinette minister John Fairchild and the sister of state representative Hiram Orlando Fairchild. They were married 35 years and had three children before her death in 1904.