Frye Village Fridays: Hardy Brush (pt.4) Frank Hardy – Civil Servant Extraordinaire
History Buzz Guest Writer Gail Ralston
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With all the work on his Brush Mill, you would think Mr. Hardy had precious little time for town service and social pursuits. But town notables of those days seemed to have time for a little bit of everything – business, church, family, recreation and public service.
This week’s continuing story about Frank Hardy focuses on his commendable time as a civil servant.
Running for the Board of Selectmen in 1907
Frank Hardy’s foray into politics began in 1907 at the age of 37 with a run for Selectman. On January 9, 1907, the Andover Townsman published Hardy’s announcement for selectman candidate:
To the Citizens of the Town of Andover: I take this opportunity to state to you that on March 4, 1907, I will be a candidate for the office of selectman in our town...I assure you that should I be elected I will endeavor at all times to do my part in giving to the town a clean and honest administration. Thanking my many friends for the support already offered and asking for the support of the voters of Andover. I remain, Yours truly, Frank H. Hardy.
Perhaps Hardy’s only mistake in hindsight was to run during a year when there were six other candidates (two who were incumbents) for three open seats.
Hardy’s next letter to the newspaper dealt with rumors that he would withdraw his candidacy. His letter was quick to squash those rumors.
Since the announcement of my candidacy...the political situation in Andover has become a trifle complex. Because of these conditions a rumor has become circulated to the effect that I have concluded to withdraw my name as a candidate for that office.
In order that all such rumors may be stopped at once... I will say that, as I am in no way responsible for the complication that has arisen, and in view of the fact that I was the first new candidate in the field, I wish it to be understood that I have not the least intention of withdrawing, but shall allow my name to stand until the contest closes…
In spite of all the hubbub, there was something about Hardy the Townsman seemed to like:
For the first time a resident of Andover the name of Frank H. Hardy has come before the citizens for public office. Although one of the most prominent young men of the town. Mr. Hardy has never been a seeker of public honors, but comes into the field this year as one of the candidates for selectman. He is a young man of pleasant personality and has made quite a reputation for himself as a reader and entertainer. (More about Frank Hardy as an entertainer next week!)
Hardy didn’t win (this time), but the Townsman went on to give him notice nevertheless:
Mr. Hardy did not secure an election, nor come very near to that goal, but he is introduced to the voters of the town, and his splendid qualities are sure to bring him recognition in the future events in town.
Frank Hardy was clearly not dissuaded by the defeat.
He showed his civic mettle during World War I when he was a member of the Committee on Local Survey. The Committee’s task was to inventory the available resources of materials and manpower in town, including compiling lists of “all automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles, as well as skilled workers.”
Hardy also served as District Head of the Liberty Loan drives. From newspaper accounts, Andover citizens went “all out” to support these drives.1
Hardy’s activities at home during the War gave him the recognition and confidence he needed to consider another try for the office of Selectman. His civic service and memberships in town service clubs – The Andover Club, the Masonic Lodge, the Andover Grange, The Royal Arcanum, the Odd Fellows, the Sons of Veterans – propelled him to the Selectman’s race in 1923.
Running for the Board of Selectmen the first time, in 1923
The Andover Club held a candidates’ night on March 2, 1923 during which Hardy outlined his goals for the office. The Townsman reported:
Frank H. Hardy was the first candidate to address the meeting. He outlined briefly, what, in his opinion, should be the qualifications for the office which he hoped to fill, specifying an ability to act quickly yet with good judgment, the possession of a tactful personality and a knowledge of diplomacy, a talent for hard work, the absence of partisan or sectional feelings in the handling of town problems and the desire to advance the interests of the town and to work for a maximum of harmony and efficiency in the town's departments.
The Townsman, having been encouraging back in 1907, went all-out in its endorsement on March 2, 1923:
Voters at the polls next Monday should have little trouble in picking that one of the candidates for Selectman who is best fitted for the position. Mr. Hardy is without question, not only better fitted to represent Andover than are any of the other candidates on the ballot, but he is, as well, the type of man who has been all too scarce among our town officers for the past few years; an executive, trained in the school of experience, to exercise good judgment and a man with a keen mind, able to think rapidly and to act quickly and forcibly….and above all, his reputation for absolute honesty and fairness as a manufacturer should recommend him unqualifiedly to the voters of Andover.
When the results were announced on March 9, this time Frank Hardy came out on top! The paper declared:
…a clear-cut victory for Frank H. Hardy in the selectman's contest in which he polled nearly twice the number of votes recorded for his nearest contestant.
Still more civic activities
In addition to being a member of the Board of Public Welfare, Frank Hardy was also one of three Assessors. It was in this latter position that he gained his greatest notoriety.
Hardy was also prominent in County and State Assessors’ affairs, at one time serving as President of the state association. In Andover, he was Chairman of the Board of Assessors. It was written that the principle accomplishment of his service in this area was his development of the “Andover Plan of Assessing Real Estate for the Purpose of Taxation,” under which the hit-or-miss methods formerly used gave way to an orderly, business-like plan.
It was argued the plan was needed due to the “inequitable distribution of the tax burden,” and “the presence of incorrect land areas.” It offered the creation of “permanent and accurate office records,” and the ability for those records to be available to others, both town offices and Andover citizens alike.
Hardy’s plan reformed recordkeeping and the way property was assessed in Andover.
It was approved by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation on September 9, 1933.
In his final show of civil service, Hardy committed his time to the Town Building Committee. He did much to promote the reconstruction of North Main Street. And until illness forced his resignation before the projects were complete, he chaired the Building Committee for the Memorial Auditorium and East Junior High.
His resignation from the chairmanship of the Building Committee in August of 1935, at age 65, was the first time in 12 years he had not held public office.
Many thanks to History Buzz Guest Writer Gail Ralston for writing this article!
Next week, we’ll finish up the story of Frank H. Hardy in two parts. First, we’ll delve into his interest in community theater as a “…a young man of pleasant personality (who) has made quite a reputation for himself as a reader and entertainer.” You might recall that Frank’s mother, Lizzie Hardy, was a professional reader. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Then we’ll publish a second story by Gail directly to History Buzz. That article will be about Frank Hardy’s position as Justice of the Peace, his West Parish Church membership, and his influence in the development of West Parish Cemetery. We’ll learn how membership in the Masons can also influence Selectmen decisions. Finally, she’ll share the story about his funeral in 1946, and how Hardy was mourned by the town.
A Liberty bond (or liberty loan) was a war bond that was sold in the United States to support the Allied cause in World War I. Subscribing to the bonds became a symbol of patriotic duty in the United States and introduced the idea of financial securities to many citizens for the first time.
There were 4 Liberty Loan Drives: April 24, 1917: Emergency Loan Act (Pub.L.65–3) authorizes issue of $1.9 billion in bonds at 3.5 percent; October 1, 1917: Second Liberty Loan offers $3.8 billion in bonds at 4 percent; April 5, 1918: Third Liberty Loan offers $4.1 billion in bonds at 4.15 percent; September 28, 1918: Fourth Liberty Loan offers $6.9 billion in bonds at 4.25 percent. Interest on up to $30,000 in the bonds was tax exempt only for the First Liberty Bond.
Through the selling of "Liberty bonds," the government raised around $17 billion for the war effort. Considering that there were approximately 100 million Americans at the time, each American, on average, raised $170 on Liberty bonds. According to the Massachusetts Historical Society, "Because the First World War cost the federal government more than $30 billion (by way of comparison, total federal expenditures in 1913 were only $970 million), these programs became vital as a way to raise funds.”
A fifth bond issue relating to World War I was released on April 21, 1919. Consisting of $4.5 billion of gold notes at 4.75% interest, they matured after four years but could be redeemed by the government after three. Exempt from all income taxes, they were called at the time "the last of the series of five Liberty Loans." However they were also called the "Victory Liberty Loan," and appear this way on posters of the period.