Lewis A. Hardison

Lewis A. Hardison is a native of Maine, born August 9, 1853. His father, Olive A. Hardison, was born in the same State, May 18, 1830. Their ancestry is the same as that of W.L. Hardison whose history appears in this book, and who is an uncle of the subject of this sketch. Lewis A. Hardison's mother, nee Mary O'Leary, was born at Frasier Mills, New Brunswick, in the year 1824. He was the oldest son in a family of seven childre, four sons and three daughters, five of whom are now living. Mr. Hardison received his education in the public schools of his native State, and remained on the farm until he was nineteen years of age. At that time he went to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, and in 1872 became a driller of wells, working seven years for wages. In 1879 he got an outfit and began to drill wells under contract. During the eleven years that he worked there he was engaged on as many as fifty-three wells, their average depth being about 1,400 feet, and average cost of drilling $1,000 each. Four men are employed on each well, and termed a drilling crew, two drillers and two tool-dressers, on of each for each four, changing at 12 M. and at midnight. When the Hardison-Stewart Oil Company commenced operations in California, in 1883, he came to Santa Paula and for four years did the company's blacksmith work at Pico and Santa Paula. Mr. Hardison is the inventor and has patented a well drilling machine of great simplicity and merit, which he used with great advantage in putting down water wells in New York during the fall and winter of 1882-'83. For some time he has been the master mechanic of the Hardison-Stewart Oil Company, built their tanks and rigs, and superintended the putting up of their telephone lines and the laying of their pipe lines. He is now superintendent of the Mission Transfer Company, and looks after the gauging of the oil, sees where it goes and keeps an account of the barrels of oil that go through their pipes. They have seventy miles of telephone and ninety miles of four and two-inch pipe lines.

     December 25, 1877, Mr. Hardison was united in marriage to Miss Margaret A. Brooking, a native of St. Johns, New Foundland, born July 22, 1851. They have had seven children, five of whom are living, viz.: Oliver J., Clara E., Arthur J., Bert and Lewis. He and his wife are members of the Universalist Church of Santa Paula. His political views are Democratic, and independent when he pleases. He was made a Master Mason July 14, 1875. Mr. Hardison has a pleasant home situated on Eighty street, between Santa Paula street and Railroad avenue.

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