Arthur Bird

Arthur Bird (1864-1936) was a carpenter and prospector in northern Canada in the early 1900s.

Born to Robert and Catherine Bird while they were living in Nottinghamshire, England, he was raised in Warwick before immigrating to Saskatchewan, Canada with his brothers to find work. At the age of 31 he married Louisa Dencer and started his family, while working as a carpenter.

During the Klondike Gold Rush, he was lured to the Yukon to search for gold, and moved his family to Dawson City where he was a neighbour of Robert W. Service. After the gold rush ended, he moved again to Victoria, British Columbia and built a home for the family.

Always antisocial, he claimed to be too cramped living in the growing town in which he could still see his neighbours. While his wife and five children stayed in Victoria, he returned to the Canadian north to continue prospecting, eventually building a cabin on Great Bear Lake.

Arthur would continue travelling between Victoria and Great Bear Lake each year searching for gold, taking his sons with him on a few trips. He became a legendary figure among the prospectors both for his grumpiness, and for his extraordinary health (see below for some of his feats).

Finally in December of 1936 the end came. Due to illness, he had delayed leaving Great Bear Lake in the Fall and had gotten snowed into his cabin. By December he had run out of supplies, and in a final letter home laments that he has no money to send home. Sometime near the end of December or the start of January he begins walking 120 miles to the nearest settlement, and is never seen again. His body was never found.

Legends
Many of the people who knew Arthur Bird told stories of his athletic abilities. Since these stories were passed from person to person, it is not clear how many are true.
* In a day of games among the northern residents, the 70-year-old Arthur reportedly won most of the events against his much younger competitors.
* It is claimed that at one time he met an Olympic marathon runner, and someone arranged for a race between the two. The much older Arthur was the clear winner.
* There is also a story that Arthur journeyed to the Klondike by canoe, paddling through two provinces and two territories.
* There is also a claim that on his final trip to Great Bear Lake, Arthur discovered a large coal deposit, but died before he could tell anyone the location.

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