Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

"A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California" (1891), page 471.

Thomas R. Bard (See the last genealogy entry for Cephas Bard)

Hon. Thomas R. Bard, a prominent business man of Hueneme, is the best known and most distinguished factor in the growh and development of the county of Ventura. He is a man with whom the history of Ventura County is more intimately connected than with any other. He was born in Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, December 8, 1841, the son of Robert M. Bard, a lawyer, born in the same county in 1810, and died in 1851. His grandfather, Thomas Bard, was also born in the same county, and his great-grandfather, Richard Bard, was of Scotch-Irish descent. He came to America in 1745, and was one of the earliest pioneers of that part of Pennsylvania; both himself and his wife were captured by the Indians, April 19, 1758. Five days after being captured he made his escape, and made unceasing efforts for the release of his wife. She was in captivity for more than a year, but was finally given up at Fort du Quesne, Pittsburg, her ransom being forty pounds sterling. Mr. Bard's mother was Elizabeth S. Little, a native of Mercersburg, Frnaklin County, Pennsylvania, born in 1812, and died in 1880. She was the daughter of Dr. P. W. Little, and a grand-daughter of Colonel Robert Parker of the Revolutionary army.

Mr. Bard's parents had two sons and two daughters, all of whom are still living. He was reared and educated at the Chambersburg Academy, and began, at the age of seventeen, the study of law with Hon. George Chambers, then a retired Supreme Justice of the State of Pennsylvania; but, finding an active life more suitable to his tastes, he abandoned his studies of law for the profession of railroad and mining engineering, in which he received a practical training in the Alleghany Mountains. When he returned he was offered a position in a forwarding and commission house at Hagerstown, Pennsylvania, which he accepted. While at that place the war broke out, and the firm, differing in politics, dissolved, the town being a border town and excitement running high. Mr. Zellar, one of the company, took Mr. Bard as a partner, and then he commenced his business life, before he was twenty-one years of age. While in business at Hagerstown the firm there were agents for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and were in constant danger of rebel raids, and had to be constantly on the alert to know of the proximity of Confederates. For this purpose Mr. Bard found it necessary to do some scouting, and was on the battle-field of Antietam when the battle began, and afterward voluntarily took up arms on the Union side in that fight. He then became acquainted with Colonel Thomas A. Scott, then Assistant Secretary of War, and did valuable service for him, which was much appreciated by the Colonel. The rebels, under General Mc Causland, in one of their raids, burned Mr. Bard's mother's house, after which Colonel Scott induced him to come to California to take charge of the business interests here.

Mr. Bard sold out his interests in the business at Hagerstown, and January 5, 1865, came to Ventura County. His first work here was the superintendency of the California Petroleum Company, in which Colonel Scott was interested. They attempted to develop the oil resources of Ojai Rancho, and everything they required in the way of machinery came from new York, via Cape Horn to San Francisco, and from San Fancisco by boat and landed by means of rafts, through the surf at San Buenaventura. This was the first attempt to develop the oil fields of California. Their work was practically unsuccessful. When they had gained experience enough to know where to locate the wells, the company became discouraged and closed the work. After this he took charge of the property in which Colonel Scott ws interested, consisting of the ranchos: - the Simi, 113,000 acres; the Las Rosas, 26, 600 acres; the San Francisco, 48,000 acres; the Calleguas, 10,000 acres; the El Rio de Santa Clara, 45,000 acres; the Canada Larga, 6,600 acres, and the Ojai, 16,000 acres. In addition to this he took charge of a large part of the town of San Buenaventura, and Colonel Scott's lands in Los Angeles and Humboldt counties, about 12,000 acres, making a grand total of about 277,000 acres. This vast acreage was devoted to sheep and cattle-raising, and Mr. Bard had charge of it until sold. The business was attended with much inconvenience and trouble through people stealing on the lands, supposing it to be Government land; almost all of the vast property was involved in dispute concerning title, and much ill-feeling was the result; some of the parties were desperadoes. Generally Mr. Bard succeeded in a just way to pay the people for their losses, and all of the lands he has disposed of have been found to have perfect titles. The land was rented to the people, and many of them afterward became purchasers.

In the meantime his own affairs had grown upon his hands, during the time he laid out the town of Hueneme, and built the wharf, in 1871, and from that time the town took its start. He continued to manage Colonel Scott's affairs until the time of his death, which occurred in 1882, after which he became his administrator in California, and closed out the property.

The liberal course taken by Mr. Bard with the tenants and squatters on the lands resulted beneficially in the settlement of the county. He eventually bought the wharf and warehouses and invested in real estate, which, with the growth of the county, has become valuable. He was one of the incorporators of the first Bank of Ventura, and was its president for fifteen years; he is now President of Hueneme Bank, and of the Hueneme Wharf Company. He organized the Simi Land and Water Company, and the Las Rosas Land & Water Company. Mr. Bard is President of the Mission Transfer Company, which owns the large system of pipe lines and refineries, at Santa Paula, and which handles the whole of the oil production of Ventura County; he is also the President of the Sespe Oil Company, which controls 22,000 acres of oil territory. He is also President of the Torrey Canon Oil Company. The output of these companies aggregate 600 barrels of oil per day.

Mr. Bard has 320 acres of land adjoining his home, of which all is being farmed; he has fifty acres of ground surrounding his home, on which is a beautiful and commodious cottage, and very excellent grounds, in which he takes much enjoyment in the collection of flowers and other plants. As one enters the grounds he is confronted by a large triangular bed of scarlet geraniums, making a brilliant show of blossoms. Back of this is a large fountain, and the winding drives branch off in two directions, making curves in divers directions amid groves of trees and flowers and amid the border of evergreen hedges, until the avenues meet in front of the house.

Mr. Bard held for several successive terms the office of Supervisor in the first district of Santa Barbara, before the county of Ventura was formed; he was first elected Supervisor on the Republican ticket, against a Spaniard on the Democratic ticket, when there were not over a dozen Americans in the district. He was the Republican candidate for State Senator in 1877, in the Senatorial district composed ot the three counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. He was defeated, but Ventura and Santa Barbara counties gave him a handsome majority, which was barely overcome by his opponent in San Luis Obispo County. He was also on the Garfield ticket for Elector, in 1880. He was a delegate at large for the State to the memorable convention at Chicago that nominated Mr. Blaine, in 1884.

He married, in 1876, Miss Mary B. Gerberding, daughter of Mr. E. O. Gerberding of San Francisco, who was one of the founders of the San Francisco Bulletin. Mrs. Bard was born in California, in 1858. They have five children, all born in Hueneme, viz.: Beryl B., Mary Louisa, Ann Greenwell, Thomas G. and Elizabeth Parker. Mrs. Bard is an Episcopalian, and Mr. Bard is an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He is a man of liberal views, broad business capacities, and a quiet and unobtrusive gentleman.


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Ventura County Republican Project: History and Rootsweb Genealogy posted by Jon Miller and Tony Larson.