One of Birney's most notable early acts of public service was procuring the passage in 1857 of an act in the state legislature changing the name of "Lower Saginaw" to Bay City.
Eins von Birneys bedeutendsten frühen Gesetzen im Staatsdienst war 1857 die Verabschiedung des Gesetzes in der Michigan Legislature, was den Namen von "Lower Saginaw" zu Bad City änderte.