El
Dorado County
Biographies
OSWALD HARDIE
Oswald Hardie is the marshal and
ex-officio tax collector of the city of Placerville. Although a native of Scotland, El Dorado
County has no more loyal or patriotic resident.
He was born August 3, 1835, and belonged to an old family of the
lowlands. His father, Thomas Hardie, was
a native of the same country and was married there to Miss Ellen McPherson, by
whom he had twelve children. In 1852
they crossed the Atlantic, becoming residents of the new world. In Illinois they made their home until 1857,
when they came to El Dorado County, California, but subsequently the father
removed to San Luis Obispo County, this state, where he died at the advanced
age of eighty-four years. His wife died
soon after their arrival in the United States, in the fiftieth year of her
age. Six of their children are still
living.
Mr. Hardie, of this review, obtained
his education in the schools of Scotland and before leaving his native land he
learned the tailor’s trade. In 1851, when a lad of sixteen years, he bade adieu to home and
friends and took passage on the ship Junior of Glasgow, commanded by Captain
Turner. They met with strong head
winds and the passage was a very stormy one:
thirteen weeks and four days passed before they reached the American
harbor. Mr. Hardie’s
elder brother had preceded him to the lead mines at Galena, Illinois, and there
our subject joined him, working in the lead mines until 1857, when he became a
resident of California, making the journey hither by way of the Isthmus
route. Two of his brothers had already
come to this state and Mr. Hardie was accompanied by his sister. He proceeded to Grizzly Flats, where the
family owned mine interests, and he there engaged in a search for the precious
metal for a number of years, meeting with fairly good success. When the great Civil War burst upon the
country and the stability of the Union was threatened by the attempt at
secession in the south, he enlisted in the First California Volunteer Infantry
and served in New Mexico and Texas, taking part in the warfare against the
Indians. His term of service expired on
the 1st of January, 1864, and he then re-enlisted in the First
Veteran Volunteer Camp of California and served until he was honorably
discharged at San Francisco, on the 31st of December, 1866. He was promoted from the ranks and filled the
position of orderly sergeant during that last two years of his service. He was engaged in a number of battles with
the Apaches, in which quite a large number of the men of his regiment were
killed; but he returned in safety.
Going to Placerville, Mr. Hardie was
engaged in the operation of a sawmill for six
years. He also worked in the store of
Wilcox & Brown, a large general mercantile establishment. Subsequently he conducted the Sportsmen’s
Hall on the Carson road for five years.
In that enterprise he met with a fair degree of prosperity. He has since done considerable prospecting
and has been employed as night watchman at Placerville for fourteen years. On the organization of the city he was chosen
by his fellow townsmen to the office of marshal and ex-officio tax collector,
and in those capacities he is now discharging his duty with credit to himself
and satisfaction of all concerned. He
was elected on the 17th of April, 1900, and his course has shown
that the confidence reposed in him was well placed.
Mr. Hardie was united in marriage in
1868 to Mrs. Margaret Lansey, a widow, and they now
have three children: Agnes, William and
David. In 1887 his wife died, and two
years later he married Harriet Slocum.
He is a prominent and active member of the Grand Army of the Republic
and has filled all of the offices of the post, having been its commander for
eight terms. He is a valued member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and a citizen of sterling worth who has
many warm friends in Placerville and the surrounding country.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 607-608. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies