Noah Hardy, president of the Hardy Realty & Immigration Company of Hutchinson, Kan., was born in Mercer county, Illinois, March 8, 1844, a son of Ashford and Sophia (Morehead) Hardy. His father was a Virginian by birth but accompanied his parents to Muskingum county, Ohio, when only nine years of age and was reared in that state, which was then the "far West" to people living east of the mountains. Like so many of the young men reared on the frontier he moved still further west to take up land and, in 1855, located in Mercer county, Illinois, where he spent his life and was finally laid to rest. The mother is also dead, after many years spent at the old homestead in Mercer county. She was a native of Pennsylvania, but spent all her married life in the West.

Noah Hardy was educated at the district school near his home and led the usual life of a country boy, herding cattle, plowing corn and doing all kinds of work on the farm, until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted, Sept. 7, 1863, at Galesburg, Ill., in Company C, Eleventh Illinois cavalry. This regiment was organized by Robert G. Ingersoll, although he was not with it at the time Mr. Hardy joined. This regiment served with the Army of the West. It took part in the raid Sherman made from Vicksburg to Meridian, Miss. After some eight months in the army Mr. Hardy was appointed to a clerkship on General Dana's staff and was stationed at Memphis, Vicksburg and Jackson, Miss. At the close of the war he was a clerk in the department of the Mississippi at Jackson, but on Nov. 11, 1865, was honorably discharged and mustered out of the service at Springfield, Ill. He remained there a short time, when he returned to his old home in Mercer county, where he engaged in buying and shipping stock to the Chicago market and at the same time conducting an extensive farm. He heard of the opportunities to secure valuable farm land very cheap in the West, and came to Kansas in the late '70s, locating in Nemaha county and, in 1886, he went to Hodgeman county and platted an addition to the town of Jetmore. For nine years he carried on a growing and lucrative business in this line, but disposed of it to move to Blackwell, Okla., and within a short time was appointed to a position in the school land office, at Guthrie, by Governor Barnes, where he remained until 1902, when he came to Hutchinson. Mr. Hardy at once opened an office, where he has established a large and prosperous real estate business. Since returning to Kansas he has confined himself almost entirely to handling Texas and Mexican land, having gained a wide knowledge of these in the state office while in Oklahoma. His general business is confined largely to Hutchinson, although he handles large farm deals. Since coming to the "Salt City" he has become recognized as one of the leading and enterprising business men who is in favor of all improvements that tend toward the upbuilding of the city where he elects to make his home. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, General Hooker Post.

On Dec. 18, 1866, Mr. Hardy was united in marriage with Lucinda J. Decker of Mercer county, Illinois, a lady of many attainments and pleasing manner, who has made many friends during the residence of the family in Hutchinson.