Fonds 344 Frank Earnest Hardy fonds

1914-1959. — 4 cm of textual records. — 51 photographs.

Biographical Sketch

Frank Earnest Hardy was born October 15, 1884, in San Jose, California and left home when he was 17 after a major argument with his father. In 1906 he came to Canada and and worked as a cook on Lesser Slave Lake boat before coming to the Peace country and on May 21, 1913, he filed on the NE 28-71-7 W6 in the Hermit Lake district. He worked for the Van Schaicks and other threshing crews while proving up his own land. In 1914 he and a friend went to Edmonton to enlist for the War but he was turned away because of a leg injury. He loved photography and took many photographs around the Lake Saskatoon area and Grande Prairie. He became severely ill with the flu of 1918 and because he had trouble recovering, a doctor suggested that a climate change might be helpful. In January, 1919, he left the farm and years later settled in the state of Maine, USA.

Custodial History

These records were donated on a CD “Mementos Francis E. Hardy”, to the South Peace Regional Archives by Frank Hardy’s daughter, Thelma Brunner, in 2009.

Scope and Content

The fonds consists of 51 photographs, 2 diaries, a journal recording photographic information, a Christmas card from Hermit Lake School, and a copy of 1 letter.

Notes

This fonds has been identified as having Indigenous related content. Researchers may encounter language that is outdated and offensive. To learn more about Indigenous records at the South Peace Regional Archives please see our guide.

Series 344.01	Personal Papers
Series 344.02	Photographs

Series 344.01

Personal Papers. — 1914-1919. — 4 cm of textual records.

The series consists of copies of diaries from 1914 and 1917, a photograph log book, a letter from Floyd Van Schaick, and a souvenir Christmas card with list of students from Hermit Lake School in 1918.

Back to Table of Contents

Series 344.02

Photographs. — 1914-1917. — 51 photographs.

The series consists of 51 photographs recording Frank Hardy’s life while in the Peace country.

Four-Horse team, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A large field of stooked grain is seen behind a four-horse team and driver.
Location: 0344.02.01

Eight-Hitch Plow, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
An eight-hitch plow is being used to break the land around a farm home.
Location: 0344.02.02

Barge on the River, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A crew of men man a barge on a river.
Location: 0344.02.03

Boy on a Pony, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A small boy sits on a tall pony.
Location: 0344.02.04

Car Stopped on a Wooden Bridge, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A car is stopped on a wooden bridge and two men take a look at the view.
Location: 0344.02.05

Building a Log Home, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Two men stand on the top log preparing rafters for the roof.
Location: 0344.02.06

Cabin in Winter, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A cabin in winter showing icicles along the roof edge.
Location: 0344.02.07

Anglican Church, Grande Prairie?, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Thought to be the first Anglican Church and Speke Hall in Grande Prairie
Location: 0344.02.08

Newly Built Church, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A newly built church sits on an open field
Location: 0344.02.09

Cabin in Winter, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A cabin in winter with a dog watching the photographer.
Location: 0344.02.10

Farmstead in Lake Saskatoon Area, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A well established farmstead borders a lake in the background.
Location: 0344.02.11

Girls on Horses, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Three young women on their horses pose for a picture.
Location: 0344.02.12

A Bird Kill, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Two men and a woman pose showing off the birds they have successfully killed.
Location: 0344.02.13

Frank’s Dog, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Frank’s dog, Brownie, poses on a chair.
Location: 0344.02.14

Frank Adjusting His Camera, 1956
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Frank is seen adjusting his camera as he stands in the woods behind a group of people.
Location: 0344.02.15

Frank’s Homestead Sod Roof Cabin, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Frank Hardy stands beside his sod roof cabin. Guns and drying shingles hang on the outside wall.
Location: 0344.02.16

Frank Hardy, [1955]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Frank Hardy in later years, standing in front of a trellis
Location: 0344.02.17

Frank with Wife Lillian, [1945]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Frank Hardy in later years, with his wife Lillian.
Location: 0344.02.18

A Threshing Operation, 1917
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Two threshing machines operating on the left and full loads waiting on the right. Oats stooks in the foreground. See diary for description.
Location: 0344.02.19

A Binder Cuts Oats, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A Four-Horse Team Pulls a Binder cutting an oat crop.
Location: 0344.02.20

Oxen Teams Pull Sleighs, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Oxen Teams pull sleighs stacked with bundles in winter.
Location: 0344.02.21

Homestead on the Lake, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Frank Hardy’s homestead on Hermit Lake
Location: 0344.02.22

Hermit Lake School, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Hermit Lake School
Location: 0344.02.23

Lake Saskatoon Mercantile Co., [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Lake Saskatoon Mercantile Co. building with Buffalo Lakes Lumber Co. sign on the side. A man stands in the doorway.
Location: 0344.02.24

Lumbering with Oxen, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Six men rest on a pile of logs while a team of oxen stand on the right.
Location: 0344.02.25

Lumber Mill & Camp, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Piles of lumber and buildings can be seen through small trees left standing.
Location: 0344.02.26

Lumber Piles and Buildings, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Piles of lumber close-up and a team of horses pulling a load.
Location: 0344.02.27

Lumber Operation By the River, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A team of oxen is winching logs from the river.
Location: 0344.02.28

Van Horne Sawmill, 1915-1923
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Van Horne Sawmill along the Wapiti near the mouth of Pipestone Creek.
Location: 0344.02.29

Man Driving Team and Wagon, [1915]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A man drives his team and wagon across a field.
Location: 0344.02.30

Man Showing Off His Cabbage Crop, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A man drives his team and wagon across a field
Location: 0344.02.31

Mountie Taking Aim, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A mountie squats and takes aim as he holds onto the reins of his horse.
Location: 0344.02.32

Mountie Stands By Teepee and Wagon, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A mountie appears to be talking to people around the teepee.
Location: 0344.02.33

Harnessed Oxen Team Pull a Plow, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
An oxen team stands ready to plow a furrow. A chicken and dog watch.
Location: 0344.02.34

Oxen Team and Farmer Breaking the Sod, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
An oxen team pulls as the farmer holds the plow handles and the sod is turned into furrows.
Location: 0344.02.35

Saskatoon Lake Mainstreet, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Saskatoon Lake main street
Location: 0344.02.36

Saskatoon Lake Mainstreet, [1917]
1 photograph; ;
Saskatoon Lake main street showing the Peace River Trading Co. building
Location: 0344.02.37

Rev. Abbott and Family, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Rev Abbott, wife Marjorie, daughter Kathleen and infant son.
Location: 0344.02.38

River Transport, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A ferry transports a team and loaded wagon across a river.
Location: 0344.02.39

Two Chickens, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Two chickens feed in the grass
Location: 0344.02.40

Rowboat on the River, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Two men in a rowboat on a river.
Location: 0344.02.41

Ski Jump on Bear Creek, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Large crowds watch from both the top and bottom of the creek bank as ski jumpers prepare to jump.
Location: 0344.02.42

Unknown Group, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Group dressed in winter parkas and mukluks posing in front of a building.
Location: 0344.02.43

Building Van Schaick’s Barn, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
A barn raising on Herbert Van Schaick’s farm. Herbert, Bill Sharp and Joe Jensen are seen on top and Foster and Clifton Van Schaick are seen in the doorway.
Location: 0344.02.44

Herbert Van Schaick’s, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Nellie and Herbert Van Schaick with their sons Chester, Foster, Clifton, Glen and Floyd.
Location: 0344.02.45

Herbert E. Van Schaick’s Farm, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Herbert Van Schaick’s farm located seven miles west and one mile north of Grande Prairie
Location: 0344.02.46

Herbert Van Schaick With His Team, [1917]
1 photograph; b & w; 4 x 6
Herbert Van Schaick standing in a field with his team of horses.
Location: 0344.02.47

Hunting with Dogs, 1920 c.
1 photograph; b & w; 4.5 x 6
Group of hunters posing with their guns and dogs.
Location: 0344.02.48

Rev. Abbott and His Children, 1918
1 photograph; b & w; 2 x 4
Rev. F. W. Abbott, Anglican minister at Lake Saskatoon, with his two children on his lap.
Location: 0344.02.49

Richmond Avenue, Grande Prairie, 1920 c.
1 postcard; b & w; 3 x 5
Looking west down Richmond Avenue c. 1920, with Thompson’s Hardware, John McCauley Fur Buyers, Owens & Johnson, and Imperial Bank of Canada the most visible buildings.
Location: 0344.02.50

Patterson & Son’s Store, 1911
2 postcard, print; colour b & w; 3 x 5
The mail from Edson arrives at the Grande Prairie Post Office, located in Patterson’s Store.
Location: 0344.02.51