California Biographies Mendocino and Lake Counties, California Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry Illustrated, Complete In One Volume Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914 P. O. HARDELL. � That he is a self-made man in every sense of the word is evident in the case of P. O. Hardell, one of the large general merchants of Fort Bragg and the owner of a thriving cattle ranch near Albion. From family records it is ascertained that the name of Hardell has been repre- sented in Sweden for many generations, and there Peter O. Hardell was born near Haparanda, Norbotten, Sweden, March 5, 1865, and was reared on the paternal farm in that cold northern country. With assets consisting of a good common school education and a sturdy constitution he left home and parents when about twenty-two years old and came to the United States. Debarking at an eastern seaport in the spring of 1887, he started westward and passed a few weeks in Michigan, but not being especially attracted by the out- look he continued to move westward until he reached California. August of 1887 found him in Fort Bragg. Mendocino county, and it was not long before he found employment at logging and tie making, making trips into Humboldt county and into Coos Bay, Ore., but each time he returned to Fort Bragg, which he found the most to his liking. During the six years that Mr. Hardell continued in this line of endeavor he accumulated sufficient means to invest in a business of his own, and in 1893 he established a general merchandise business on a small scale, which has since grown to be one of the largest and most dependable business enterprises of the city. The business was started on Franklin street in a small frame building that did service for nine years, when its capacity proved insufficient for the enlarging business and another location became imperative. It was at this juncture that he purchased property at the corner of Laurel and Frank- lin streets and erected a brick structure suited to his needs, fifty by seventy feet, two stories in height. At the time of the disastrous earthquake that devastated San Francisco and vicinity Fort Bragg also suffered considerable damage, Mr. Hardell among many others meeting with heavy loss tliereby. The walls of the building were considered unsafe as a result of the terrific jar- ring and it was deemed advisable and even necessary to tear down the walls and rebuild. The stock of goods was accordingly removed to another and safer building and there business was conducted until the new structure was com- pleted. Instead of putting up a brick structure as before, he erected a frame building larger than the original one, this being sixty by ninety feet. Here may be found as choice and varied an assortment of general merchandise as the demands of a large city trade would make necessary. While he has built up a substantial mercantile business it has not consumed all of his thought, for he has also built up a splendid ranching enterprise on property which he pur- chased eight miles from Albion on Salmon creek. This comprises seventeen hundred and forty acres of land well suited to stock-raising, and he is raising cattle and sheep on an extensive scale. The marriage of Mr. Hardell occurred in Fort Bragg and united him with Ida Markkula, who was born in Finland. Of the children born to them seven are living, as follows : Hagar Ingeborg, Helvi Cecilia, John Toivo, Frans Olaf Patrick, Elsi Saima Dagmar, Oscar Adolph and a child still imnamed. The family are identified with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Fort Bragg, and politically Mr. Hardell is a Republican.