William Hardy was five years old in 1827 when his family moved from Seneca County, New York, to Washtenaw County, Michigan. Not long after the move, William’s father died, and young William was bound to a farmer near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Treated as an inferior being, with no advantages given to him, William worked hard and refused to allow his circumstances to limit his potential. He determined to overcome the disadvantages of being despised and slighted by educating himself. By the age of 21, William was able to marry and move to the town of Gaines, Michigan, where he raised five children and farmed his own 160 acres.

A religious man, William was a student of scripture. Through his association with J.B. Frisbie, he learned about the Sabbath. In a 1858 letter to Uriah Smith he writes, “Last Sabbath we enjoyed the sweet melting Spirit of the Lord. Our hearts were made glad; and we were enabled to read our title clear to mansions in the skies.”1

The following year, James and Ellen White were guests in the Hardy home. In her personal diary Ellen writes, “Tuesday, January 25, 1859: It looks like a storm ... . Did not arrive at Brother Hardy’s until dinnertime. It was snowing fast. We were heartily welcomed by the family. A good dinner was soon in readiness for us of which we thankfully partook. This is a colored family, but although the house is poor and old, everything is arranged in neatness and exact order. The children are well behaved, intelligent, and interesting. May I yet have a better acquaintance with this dear family.”2

The Hardy home was often opened to guests and travelers, including J.N. Loughborough and John Byington, each sharing similar experiences of hospitality.

Writing about Hardy, Franklin Everett observes, “By his moral dignity and sterling good sense he won respect, until he was allowed his place among the leading men in his town. He is, so far as known, the first colored man who held office in Michigan. He has served his town in various public positions, in 1872 as supervisor.”3

William became a key leader of the believers in his community. Following a church meeting, H.M. Kenyon observed, “The burden of the work here now rests almost wholly on Bro. W.J. Hardy. He has the confidence of the people where he lives, and we trust the time is not far distant, when the few that remain may have some additions to their number.”4

Historic Adventist Village has created an exhibit of the life and work of William J. Hardy along with stories of other African-American Adventist pioneers. It is housed in the home of Harriet Henderson Tucker, a slave who escaped to Battle Creek with the help of her father through the Underground Railroad.

Gary Burns is the Lake Union Herald editor.

1. Review and Herald, April 29, 1858, p. 191.

2. Arthur L. White, Ellen G. White: The Early Years, 1827–1862, 1985, p. 398.

3. Franklin Everett, Memorials of the Grand River Valley, p. 29.

4. Review and Herald, March 7, 1878, p. 78.