William Harrison Hardy | |
|---|---|
 Captain Hardy (circa. 1866) | |
| Born | April 15, 1823 |
| Died | June 1, 1906 (aged 83) |
| Occupation(s) | Postmaster, inventor, founder of Hardyville |
| Known for | Founder of Hardyville, operator of an Colorado River Ferry, store owner |
William Harrison Hardy (April 15, 1823 − June 1906) was an American politician and entrepreneur who founded the city of Hardyville, which has been replaced by Bullhead City, Arizona.[1]
Early life
[edit]William H. Hardy was born in Watertown, New York. He lived in New York for 26 or so years, where then he ventured to California on a wagon train, being labelled as Captain Hardy. He had an fortune from his earlier ventures before he arrived in California, and he purchased a Colorado River Ferry. From the help of George Alonzo Johnson's Colorado Steam Navigation Co.,[2] He began to run a ferry company, which he would occasionally give rides for free for those that were unfortunate.[3]
Hardyville
[edit]Hardyville, which is now known as Bullhead City, was a town that was named after William H. Hardy himself.[4] Hardy was the first postmaster of the city from 1865, and was as well the inventor of the riveted mail sack, being credited for his invention.[5] Hardyville is memorialized by Street art beside the Hardyville Cemetery, the only surviving piece of Hardyville to this day.[6] The mural provides a illustration of William Hardy, standing beside a River filled with ferries. It was common for steamboats arriving at Hardyville to deliver supplies to the recently discovered gold mines. The town was given a seat in Mohave County in 1867, and later on, it increased in population, and there was new buildings built up, such as general stores, blacksmiths, and a city hall. The introduction of the railroad, and multiple fires, brought down Hardyville, and in the 1890s, with the mills no longer running, slowly became a ghost town.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "William Harrison Hardy". Arizona Mining History. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
- ^ "The Story of Hardyville" (PDF). Colorado River Historical Society. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "William Harrison Hardy". Arizona Mining History. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "Bullhead City Area History". Around the River. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ "The Story of Hardyville" (PDF). Color River Historical Society. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ "NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM". National Park Service. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ "The Story of Hardyville" (PDF). Color River Historical Society. Retrieved 9 September 2023.