Thomas R. Bard | |
|---|---|
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| United States Senator fromCalifornia | |
| In office February 7, 1900 – March 3, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen M. White |
| Succeeded by | Frank P. Flint |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 8, 1841 Chambersburg,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 1915 (aged 73) Port Hueneme,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Union Army |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Thomas Robert Bard (December 8, 1841 – March 5, 1915) was an American political leader inCalifornia who assisted in the organization ofVentura County and represented the state in theUnited States Senate from 1900 to 1905 as aRepublican. He is known as the "Father ofPort Hueneme" for his efforts in building and expanding the city, as well as the first andonly deep water port in the area. He is one of the founders of theUNOCAL company.
Born inChambersburg, Pennsylvania, on December 8, 1841, Bard attended the common schools, and graduated from the Chambersburg Academy in 1858. He studied law in school, and before his graduation, he secured a job withPennsylvania Railroad. Later, he became an assistant to the superintendent of theCumberland Valley Railroad. Other business ventures included the grain business inHagerstown,Maryland. During the early part of theCivil War, Bard served as a volunteer Union scout during the invasions of Maryland and Pennsylvania by the Confederates.
In 1865, Bard arrived inVentura County, California, to develop his uncleThomas A. Scott's properties inOjai. In 1867, Bard would become thefirst person in California to produce oil from a drilled well.[1] The official Congressional Directory for 1903 notes that Bard "has engaged in wharving and warehousing, banking, petroleum mining, sheep grazing, and dealing in real estate".[2]
Thomas R. Bard moved toVentura County,California, in 1864 and served as a member of the board of supervisors ofSanta Barbara County from 1868 to 1873. In 1871, he was appointed as a commissioner to organize Ventura County. During this time, he purchased and subdividedRancho El Rio de Santa Clara o la Colonia and laid out the plans forPort Hueneme,California, the future site of hisBerylwood estate.
Bard was the California delegate to the1884 Republican National Convention, and later served as the director of theCalifornia state board of agriculture from 1886 to 1887. In 1887, Bard became a founding board member ofOccidental College. Elected as aRepublican to theUnited States Senate onFebruary 6, 1900, to fill a vacancy created by the death of SenatorStephen M. White, he served until March 3, 1905.[2] Bard was unsuccessful in his 1904 reelection bid. During his term Bard served as the chairman of the Committee of Fisheries (for the Fifty-seventh Congress) and served on the Committee on irrigation (for the Fifty-eighth Congress). One of Thomas R. Bard's notable acts during his time in office was to appointGeorge S. Patton toWest Point.[3]
Thomas R. Bard became a successful business man, and held profitable interests in several oil companies. Thomas R. Bard and his brother, Dr.Cephas Little Bard, established theElizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital inVentura as a memorial to their mother.[4] His son, Archibald Philip Bard, became a notedphysiologist and the dean ofJohns Hopkins Medical School.
He died at his Berylwood home inPort Hueneme, California, on March 5, 1915, and was interred in the family cemetery on his estate. His remains were moved to Ivy Lawn Cemetery inVentura, California, by the military.[5]
Johnson, Rossiter, ed. (1906). "Bard, Thomas Robert".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. Boston: American Biographical Society. p. 210.
| U.S. Senate | ||
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| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from California 1900–1905 Served alongside:George C. Perkins | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
