Birds: Local History Between Rail and Change

Birds can be understood through its early connection to the railroad and the changes the town underwent later. If local history is one of the things you consider when choosing a travel destination, the chronology offers several distinct phases: its founding in 1878, changes to the railroad, and the 1997 flood. This lets you get to know the town through specific developments rather than just a single historical connection.

1878: Founding and Early Development

The founding of Birds is closely tied to a railroad. In 1878, John Bird Jr. (1817–1903), son of John Bird (1785–1850), donated land to the Wabash St. Louis and Pacific Railroad. The donation included a lot for the depot. That same year, Birds Station was surveyed and platted by J. B. Benefiel, the county surveyor; the plat was recorded on September 10, 1878. The land donation and survey therefore took place in the same year, but describe different steps: providing land for the railroad and laying out the station. Also in 1878, Isaac Baldridge built the first timber-frame house in Birds Station and operated the post office there.

The old depot in Birds was replaced with a more modern building in 1915. This later development adds a structural change at the depot to the story of the town’s founding and extends the chronology beyond 1878.

The Railroad Through the Years

The railroad that ran through Birds also developed through several phases of corporate ownership. In 1889, the railroad was incorporated into the Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Chicago Railroad (Big 4); in the early 20th century, the New York Central Railroad took it over. These milestones place the rail connection within a longer corporate history that extends beyond the town’s founding.

The “Egyptian” passenger train once ran along the line through Birds. It carried a Pullman car between Chicago and Cairo, Illinois. The train’s history thus connects the line through Birds with a route between two cities in Illinois.

The later years of railroad service call for distinguishing between 1957 and 1980. Passenger service on the Danville line through Birds ended in 1957. The section leading to Cairo, which ran through Birds, was abandoned in 1980. The first date concerns passenger service; the second, the abandonment of the line segment. Together, they form a chronological sequence of distinct changes to the railroad.

A Later Turning Point: 1997

Another major chapter was the 1997 flood. It devastated large parts of the remaining town of Birds; at the time, Birds was unincorporated. This event belongs to a different phase from the town’s founding and railroad development. Chronologically, it followed the abandonment of the line segment leading to Cairo.

Putting Birds in Context as a Travel Destination

If you also consider historical background when planning your trip, Birds offers a focus on the town’s founding and railroad development, alongside the turning point of 1997. The differences between the depot’s replacement, the end of passenger service, and the abandonment of the line segment help distinguish the various milestones in the town’s history. Use this profile alongside your other travel criteria when looking for hotels in Birds.

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