Lydia Helen Lott Hardy (1835-1889)

Early Life

Lydia Helen Lott was born on 3 August 1835 in Plymouth, Wayne County, Michigan, the daughter of John Lott and Catherine Johnson. Movement and loss entered Lydia’s life early. Her father died in 1840, when Lydia was only five years old.

After his death, Lydia moved with her mother to Carlton, Orleans County, New York. There she met Sidney W. Hardy, a young farmer whose own life had already included a three-year whaling voyage and a journey to California during the Gold Rush.

Lydia married Sidney on 11 June 1854. She was eighteen years old.

Why She Left

When Lydia married Sidney, he owned a 123-acre farm in Carlton. For a time, farming appeared to offer the stability Sidney had been seeking after years of travel and uncertain ventures.

But the farm carried a substantial mortgage, and despite respectable harvests, weather, pests, fluctuating markets, and debt made it increasingly difficult to succeed. Portions of the property were sold, and eventually Sidney and Lydia gave up the farm without realizing a profit.

In 1857, with their prospects in New York exhausted, Sidney and Lydia decided to move west. For Lydia, this meant another move in a life already shaped by relocation—this time as a young wife and mother responsible for helping establish a new home for her growing family.

Journey to Illinois

Sidney and Lydia left New York in 1857 and initially went to Michigan, where Lydia’s mother and sister lived. Their daughter Hulda was born there that September.

The family soon continued west. By 1858, they were established in Shabbona, DeKalb County, Illinois, where Sidney once again took up farming.

Their children’s birthplaces trace the family’s migration: New York, Michigan, and finally Illinois. Each move required Lydia to establish another household and maintain family life while Sidney continued his search for greater economic security.

Building a Life in Illinois

In Shabbona, the Hardys initially found greater success with farming. Their family continued to grow, but these years also brought considerable loss. Lydia and Sidney had nine children, three of whom died young.

The Civil War brought another disruption. In 1865, Sidney enlisted in the Union Navy and served with the Mississippi Squadron. During his service, he became seriously ill with dysentery and returned home with health problems from which he never fully recovered.

The family then moved to Burlington, Kane County, near Lydia’s sister. As Sidney’s health declined, Lydia and other family members assumed increasing responsibility for the physical work required to sustain the farm and household.

Sidney died in 1885, leaving Lydia with limited property and unresolved debts. She applied for a widow’s pension, but it was denied because she could not provide documentation of their marriage.

In 1888, Lydia married Joseph Sheldon, a much younger man about whom little has been found. The marriage was brief. On 22 October 1889, Lydia died after being thrown from a wagon. She was fifty-four years old.

Lydia was buried with Sidney at North Clinton Cemetery in Waterman, DeKalb County, Illinois.

Why This Story Matters

Lydia’s story reveals a side of migration that is easy to overlook. Sidney made many of the decisions that moved the family from place to place, but Lydia lived with the consequences of those decisions and helped make each new beginning possible.

Her adult life required repeated adaptation. She established homes in New York, Michigan, and Illinois, gave birth to nine children, buried three of them, endured financial uncertainty, and watched her husband leave for Civil War service. When Sidney returned in poor health, increasing responsibility for sustaining the farm and household fell to Lydia and other family members.

The historical record does not tell us how Lydia felt about Sidney’s ambitions, their repeated moves, or the disappointments they encountered. We should not assume that she simply accepted them without question. What the records do show is that she continued to care for her family through each change.

Sidney’s story demonstrates the possibilities and risks of pursuing opportunity. Lydia’s shows the work required to hold a family together when those opportunities did not turn out as hoped.

Lydia’s story reminds us that migration depended not only upon the people who decided to move, but also upon those who created homes, cared for children, endured loss, adapted when plans failed, and made it possible for a family to continue.

Source Documents

The research documents for the Hardy 1858 migration story:

• Biographical Sketch (PDF)
• Migration to Illinois (PDF)
• Genealogical Summary and Children (PDF)
• Legacy (PDF)

Related Reading

• Hardy, Sidney
• Hardy Migration Story
• Paths to Illinois, Volume II The Davis Family Story
• Migration Timeline of all sixteen families
• Ancestors & Surnames index

My Blog and Newsletter have additional stories and research related to the Hardy family.