Byard Dunham was born in New Jersey about 1843. His wife Frederica Sodan was born in New York about 1852. Byard would have been 18 when the American Civil War broke out in 1861. According to the 1880 Census, the couple resided in New York City with three children: Frederica, age 9; Theodore, age 6; and Clarence, age 2. Byard was a liveryman and stable keeper. Frederica was a housekeeper. The place of birth of Byards’ father and mother is listed as being New Jersey. The birthplace of Fredericas’ father and mother is designated as Massachusetts. According to Jean Weiss, the family life of Theodore I as a child was poor.