Ventura County Landmark No. 20: Thomas R. and Mary Bard Memorial

Memorialized here are Senator Thomas R. Bard, his wife Mary Gerberding Bard, and their son Robert Bard, who died in infancy. A low wall stretching across the back of the plot has the portraits in brass of Thomas R. Bard and his wife. The memorial is located on the former Bard Estate, now the property of the U.S. Navy. The City of Port Hueneme maintains an easement to the memorial.

Thomas R. Bard was the pioneer who developed the oil industry in Ventura County, engaged in agriculture and shipping, and became a U.S. Senator. Thomas Bard was a key figure during the reformation of California in the early 1900s (Ventura Weekly, 2007). Since the Civil War, Southern Pacific Railroad became powerful enough to virtually run the entire state of California (Ventura Weekly, 2007). Bard was the key figure to revolt against Southern Pacific. At that time, Southern Pacific was pushing Colonel Daniel M. Burns to become a Senator. Thomas Bard, with enough support, took the seat at the United States Senate. He campaigned to expand the city of Port Hueneme. Afterwards, Bard’s children would put his plan to work. Because of Thomas Bard, Port Hueneme has the only deep-water port in this area. Bard died in his home in Berylwood, Hueneme on March 5, 1915 (Ventura Weekly, 2007). Other Bard family related landmarks include the following: No. 19, 24, 31, 32, 49, 50, 88, and 153.