Generally Believed to be the third individual to settle in Brighton Township, Gardner Bird arrived in February of 1883. He bought land from the government in Sections 11 and 17. During 1833 he made clearing of the land and sowing grain his work and the building of a cabin. .His wife joined him the following year in April 1834. She was the first married lady settler. The first settlers, Elijah Marsh and Job Cranston left for "back east" to fetch their families. The Birds then became the only occupants of Brighton Township from April until September, 1834.
The 1840 Census for Brighton Township shows Mr. Bird listed along with his wife and children, one boy and one girl under the age of five, one boy and one girl between five and ten, and two boys and one girl between ten and fifteen years of age.
The spelling of the fist name of Mr. Bird is sometimes given as "Gardiner". We use "Gardner" here as being correct since both the 1840 Census as well as his tombstone use that spelling.
This tombstone marks the burial place of Gardner Bird and his wife, Eliza. It is in "Bird Cemetery" which is Southwest of the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Kensington Roads with frontage on the Pleasant Valley Road.
Also buried in the Bird Cemetery are the following members of the Bird Family. This list shows the relationship to Gardner Bird. Dates are approximate. The source data listed here comes from Township records, Tombstone identification or: http://www.livgenmi.com/birdcemindex.htm , www.familysearch.com
| First Name | Birth Date | Burial Date | Age at Death | Relationship to Gardner | Other Information |
| Albert | 1836 | 1897 | 61 | ? | |
| Catherine | 1833 | 1912 | 79 | Niece | Daughter to Melzer |
| Darwin | 1828 | 1847 | 18 | ? | |
| Elbert | 1837 | 1838 | 1 | Son | |
| Eliza (Johnson) | 1806 | 1857 | 51 | First Wife | |
| Elizabeth | 1836 | 1838 | 2 | Daughter | |
| Frances E. (Reed) | 1844 | 1909 | 65 | Third Wife | |
| Gardner | 1881 | 1883 | 81 | Himself | |
| Harriet L. | 1854 | 1855 | <1 | ||
| Jane (Adeline) | 1835 | 1915 | 80 | ||
| Laura (Wentworth) | 1826 | 1889 | |||
| Margabetti | 1841 | ||||
| Maria (Sleeper) | 1872 | ||||
| Mary | 1886 | ||||
| Mary | 1872 | Second Wife | |||
| Melzer | Nephew | ||||
| Oliver | 1856 | ||||
