Bardy Family History

"100 Years and Still Fresh"

Click to enlarge.	THE BARDY FAMILY HISTORY IN AMERICA STARTED WHEN ABRAHAM BARDY IMMIGRATED FROM RUSSIA IN 1904. HE WAS A POOR FARMER WHO STARTED VEGETABLE FARMING IN UNION, NEW JERSEY. IN 1905 HE SENT FOR HIS WIFE GUSSIE AND FIVE YEAR OLD SON JACK BOTH OF WHOM WERE STILL IN RUSSIA.
click to enlarge	ABRAHAM AND GUSSIE HAD EIGHT CHILDREN TOGETHER: JACK, EDWARD, JOSEPH, PHILIP, IDA, FLORENCE, ANNA AND BERTHA. THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS ALL WORKED THE FARM. THE VEGETABLES, EGGS AND BUTTER THAT THEY PRODUCED WAS SOLD IN THE ELIZABETH MARKET ON HIGH STREET.
click to enlarge PHIL BARDY, HIGH ST. MARKET, ELIZABETH, NJ 1951.
click to enlarge	YEARS LATER THE HAD A SMALL ROADSIDE STAND ON MORRIS AVENUE. THAT STAND DEVELOPED INTO THEIR FIRST LITTLE GROCERY STORE. THAT STORE IS LOCATED WERE THE MAJESTIC CLEANERS STORE IS TODAY. THEN IN 1952 THE BROTHERS BUILT THEIR FIRST SUPERMARKET.
click to enlarge BASKING RIDGE FARM, SO. MAPLE AVE. 1980
BARDY FARMS SUPER MARKET WAS THE MOST MODERN AND PROGRESS MARKET OF ITS TIME IN THE COUNTRY. THE STORE HAD FROZEN FOOD, BAKERY DEPT., DELI, A BUTCHER SHOP ON SITE, FRESH SEA FOOD DEPT AND OF COURSE A PRODUCE DEPARTMENT FEATURING THEIR VERY OWN PRODUCE. MOST OF WHICH WAS PRODUCED JUST TWO BLOCK AWAY ON SPRUCE STREET WHERE THEIR 40 ACRE VEGETABLE FARM WAS LOCATED. IN THE LATE 1950'S, DUE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE SUPERMARKET, THE FAMILY PURCHASED FARM LAND IN BASKING RIDGE, MILLINGTON, WARREN, AND NORTH PLAINFIED. THE 30 ACRE FARM ON ROUTE 22 IN NORTH PLAINFIELD WAS TO BECOME THE SITE OF THE NEXT BARDY FARMS SUPERMARKET, BUT WAS INSTEAD LONG-TERM LEASED TO GREAT EASTERN AND IS PRESENTLY THE SITE OF K-MART AND STAPLES. THE WARREN SITE BECAME THE LOCATION OF THE NEXT SUPERMARKET AND SHOPPING. THE BARDY FARMS COUNTRY SQUARE OF WARREN WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1960'S. TODAY KING' SUPERMARKET IS THE PRESENT TENANT. THE MILLINGTON FARM OF 130 ACRES WAS DONATED TO U.S. WILDLIFE SERVICE IN 1998 TO THE GREAT SWAMP NATURE RESERVE. THE BASKING RIDGE FARM WAS DEVELOPED AND IS THE PRESENT SITE OF THE BARON'S CONDOS.
TODAY, PHILIP'S SON ROB OPERATES BARDY FARMS & GREENHOUSES IN WARREN, NEW JERSEY. ROB BARDY A GRADUATE OF FAIRLEGH DICKENSON UNIVERSITY, IS THE LAST FAMILY MEMBER STILL FARMING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. THE FARM IS GREATLY ANTICIPATING OUR 100'TH ANNIVERSARY IN THE YEAR 2004. THANK YOU, DONNA & ROB BARDY