Guy Urban Hardy (April 4, 1872 – January 26, 1947) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

for fourteen years. He was a newspaper editor and publisher for 52 years as well as president of the National Editorial Association. Three parks were established in Cañon City, Colorado as the result of his lobbying efforts: Royal Gorge Park, Temple Canyon Park, and Red Canyon Park. The Guy U. Hardy award was established to recognize individuals who preserve, protect, and advocate for outdoor recreational opportunities.

Early life and education

Born in

Abingdon, Illinois Abingdon is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States, west of Peoria. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city was first settled in 1828 and was incorporated in 1857. In june of 1907, the patent for the commo ...

, Hardy had two brothers. He attended the public schools, Albion Normal College in Albion, Illinois, and

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

, Lexington, Kentucky.

Career

He taught school in Illinois and Florida from 1890 to 1893. He had

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

and moved to Cañon City, Colorado for the dry climate in 1894. He was the editor and later publisher and owner of the ''Cañon City Daily Record'' and ''Cañon City Weekly Record'', beginning in 1895. Initially, there was a weekly paper, and by 1906 Hardy also published a daily newspaper. Appointed to the post by President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

, he was postmaster of Cañon City from June 5, 1900, to July 30, 1904. He was president of the National Editorial Association in 1918 and 1919. Royal Gorge CO - Royal Gorge (NBY 431935) (cropped)

Royal Gorge CO - Royal Gorge (NBY 431935) (cropped)

He lobbied Congress in 1906 to establish a park at

Royal Gorge The Royal Gorge is a canyon of the Arkansas River located west of Cañon City, Colorado. The canyon begins at the mouth of Grape Creek, about west of central Cañon City, and continues in a west-northwesterly direction for approximately until ...

by having the land ceded to the City of Cañon City. Royal Gorge Park was created due to his efforts, as were Temple Canyon Park in 1912 and also Red Canyon Park. He was also a leader in the local Chamber of Commerce. Hardy was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the

66th Congress The 66th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1919, to Ma ...

and to the six succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1933). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932 to the 73rd Congress. While in Congress, he prepared documents regarding the responsibilities of Congressmen and about Congress. He resumed his former publishing pursuits in Cañon City, Colorado. He founded the University Club of Cañon City.

Personal life

On August 2, 1899, he married Jessie Mack (born May 7, 1875 Cañon City), the daughter of early pioneers of Cañon City, Julia E. (Little) and Henry Mack. Jessie received her

Bachelor of Philosophy Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; la, Baccalaureus Philosophiae or ) is the title of an academic degree that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's d ...

(Ph.B.) at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1898, after which she taught Latin and English at the Cañon City High School. She was a suffragette and involved in a number of community organizations. She also taught kindergarten. The Hardys had four children, daughter Marion and sons Max, Lyman, and Don. He resided in Cañon City, Colorado until his death on January 26, 1947. He was interred in Greenwood Cemetery. After his death, his son Don ran the newspapers. The Guy U. Hardy Award for Service to Outdoor Recreation was created in his name to recognize people in the community who "help preserve, protect and advocate for providing outdoor recreation opportunities." Hardy had a significant impact on outdoor recreational opportunities in the

area.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Guy Urban 1872 births 1947 deaths Transylvania University alumni American Disciples of Christ Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado People from Abingdon, Illinois People from Cañon City, Colorado