Calaveras
County
Biographies
THOMAS HARDY
The history of the pioneer
settlement of Angel’s Camp would be incomplete without the record of this
gentleman, who from the earliest founding of the town has been a prominent
factor in its substantial growth improvement.
When California was cut off from the advantages and comforts of the east
by the long, hot stretches of barren ground and the high mountains he made his
way across all these; braving all the trials and hardships of pioneer life in
order to make a home in the west, rich in its resources, yet unclaimed from the
dominion of the red men.
Thomas Hardy was born in Danvers,
Essex County, Massachusetts, on the 10th of September, 1816, and is
descended from a prominent old English family.
He is a grandnephew of Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy, of the English
navy. Isaac Hardy, his father, was born
in New Hampshire, and married Miss Lydia Herrick, a native of Topsfield, Essex
County, Massachusetts. He engaged in the
butchering and meat market business in Danvers, where he and his wife spent
their remaining days. The father died at
the age of sixty-three, the mother at the age of eighty-three. In religious belief they were
Congregationalists and were worthy and respected citizens. One of the brothers of Isaac Hardy was a
minister and the family were all interested in
religious work, doing everything in their power to promote the adoption of
Christian principles which ennobled and uplifted humanity.
Thomas Hardy was educated in his
native town, and when sixteen and one-half years of age he began learning the
tanner and currier’s trade. On attaining
his majority he started in business for himself in Danvers, Massachusetts,
which he conducted with success for four years, when he sold out and went to
Alexandria, Louisiana, under contract to carry on business for a man; and later
entered into partnership with a Mr. Little in tanning, currying and shoe
manufacturing, and later bought out the interest of the man for whom he went
under contract and furthered his business by himself. He introduced the first two splitting
machines ever in that state. He manufactured
the first Negro shoes made in Louisiana.
He spent five years in that portion of the country, finding the people
hospitable and kindly. When he visited a
Louisiana home its owner would say to him, “You will always find a bed and
plate when you come here.”
But gold was discovered in
California and he decided to make his way to the El Dorado of the west. He sailed from New Orleans to Chagres, but
was detained on the Isthmus for two months before he could secure a boat for
the Pacific passage, which chanced to be the steamer California. At length he arrived in San Francisco, in
September, 1849. He had made
arrangements with a man to engage in the lumber and shipping business, but the
partner died and thus all of Mr. Hardy’s high expectations came to naught. It was necessary that he gain employment at
once, and he turned his attention to mining, in which he met with moderate
success. He has engaged in silver,
copper, gold and coal mining, and has thus done much for the development of the
rich mineral resources of the state. His
fellow townsmen, recognizing his ability for leadership, elected him to the
state senate from Calaveras County, and he at once became a prominent and
influential member of the upper house, opposing every movement or measure that
he believed would prove detrimental to the public, and thus saving to the state
much unnecessary expense. To his work in
that session of the senate is given credit for the completion of the Southern
Pacific Railroad. His straightforward,
forcible and logical speech, ringing with truth, induced many of the senators
to favor the road who had hitherto opposed it.
From his copper mines Mr. Hardy had taken
out one hundred thousand dollars, and then he sold the property for three
hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.
While engaged in placer mining he at one time
found a sixteen-ounce gold nugget which was worth three hundred and
thirty-three dollars, securing the same on Carson Hill in Calaveras
County. He first visited Angel’s Camp in
1850, and in that year he also engaged in mining on the middle fork of the
American River, where in four months he took out six thousand dollars. He was always very successful in his mining
operations, but lost large amounts of money through over-confidence in his
friends to whom he lent money without full security. His knowledge of mining interests gained him
the reputation of being an expert, and his labors in the development of the
mineral resources of the state have contributed in a large measure to
California’s prosperity and growth. He
is now interested in six different mines and has over half a million dollars
due him exclusive of interest money. At
one time he owned five-sixteenths of the Black Diamond and Cumberland mines,
and was offered six thousand dollars for one-sixteenth of it. He purchased five-sixteenths more of that
property, and then sold nine-sixteenths, on which he cleared in one afternoon
twenty thousand dollars.
While in Volcano, Amador County, in
1862, Mr. Hardy assisted in organizing a vigilance committee, the list
containing five hundred names. This
seemed necessary because there were three hundred gamblers and lawless persons
in the town. Mr. Hardy was elected its
president, or captain. He decided to rid
the town of the gang and became one of the executive committee of twelve. In the gang there was a big fellow named Brewster,
who was a prize fighter and was kept by the gambler to settle all their
difficulties either harmoniously or by force.
He would go into a store, take a hat, coat, or anything he wanted
without paying for it, and leave laughing defiance at the proprietor. Soon after the committee was formed this
fellow was seen walking toward a store.
The merchant went in and fastened the door, but the desperado got a
large stone and began to break down the door.
Mr. Hardy seeing that it was time to act seized the man and threw him
down and choked him until he was black in the face. He held him in that way as long as he thought
it was safe, for he did not wish to kill him.
He then let go of his throat and caught him by the hair and banged his
head upon the ground until the breath returned to him. He then marched him up the street to put him
in prison, but when the fellow saw that he was to be incarcerated he begged for
mercy and said if he would let him go he would behave and make no further
trouble. Mr. Hardy told him to go and
prove from that time on he was a man.
The gang decided to seek other quarters.
Mr. Hardy was a man of great muscular power and force; therefore, was
well qualified to act at the head of a vigilance committee, for his bravery and
fearless spirit were also well known.
When occasion warrants he is one of the most kind and considerate of
men.
During the Civil War he made three
donations to the sanitary commission, one of two hundred and fifty dollars, one
of five hundred dollars and a third of five thousand dollars. He is very liberal in his giving to
benevolent work, yet in his charity he is always unostentatious. For many years he has been a prominent and
highly respected member of the Pioneers’ Society of California. His pleasing, genial manner has made him
popular in social circles and his sterling worth commands the confidence and
good will of all with whom he has been brought into contact.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 345-347. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Calaveras County Biographies