Cardon Family Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of materials related to O. Guy Cardon, Guy N. Cardon, and the Bluebird Restaurant. Series One contains professional papers that are not directly related to the Bluebird and mostly originate from Guy N. Cardon, as the majority of the materials postdate his father’s death. They consist largely of Rotary Club materials and documents related to the state Oil, Gas, and Mining board. Series Two consists of Bluebird materials, including correspondence, policy and procedure papers, financial documents, legal documents, ephemera, blueprints, awards, and even a uniform from the restaurant. Among the blueprints are also plans for a proposed Campus Commons and the Home Economics Building at Utah State Agricultural College. The last seven folders of this collection are located in Poster Cabinet 1, Drawer 2
Dates
- Creation: 1897-1988
Language of Materials
Material in English
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Cardon Family Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.
Biographical Note
Orson Guy Cardon (1887-1958) was born in Logan, Utah, in 1887 to Thomas B. and Lucy Smith Cardon. He attended Brigham Young College before taking a job with the Murdock Candy Company and marrying Ruby Nebeker on June 7, 1911. In 1914 Cardon founded the Bluebird together with M.N. Neuberger and Julius Bergsjo. Initially, it was a candy, ice cream, and soda fountain store, but soon began offering more food options. The business prospered, and in 1922 they built a new building at the current location at 19 North Main Street. Cardon also served as the secretary and treasurer for Cardon Jewelry Company which was founded by his father Thomas Cardon in 1876.
After O. Guy Cardon suffered a heart attack and died on November 25, 1958, his son, Guy Nebeker Cardon (1919-2006), assumed responsibility for the restaurant and candy company. Guy N. Cardon was born in Logan on January 24, 1919. He graduated from Utah State Agricultural College with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and married Vera Joyce Johnson. In addition to his responsibilities at the Bluebird, Cardon was an active member of the Rotary Club and was on the state board of Oil, Mining, and Natural Gas. He sold the restaurant to An Sheng Xu in 1994 and passed away on Christmas Day 2006.
Extent
6 Boxes (8 Linear Feet)
Abstract
This collection consists of professional papers related to O. Guy Cardon and Guy N. Cardon and their family business, the Bluebird Candy Company and associated restaurant.
Arrangement
Arranged by document type.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to Utah State University Special Collections by Alice Crockett, Guy N. Cardon’s daughter, in 2012.
The correspondence in series I, box 1, folder 33 and the “The Bluerbird Story” in series II, box 2, folder 23 were donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by Jane Winters Fife in 2011.
Processing Information
Processed in June of 2013
Genre / Form
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Cardon Family papers 1897-1988
- Author
- Finding aid/Register created by Melissa Allen
- Date
- ©2013
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid encoded in English .
Revision Statements
- 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.
Repository Details
Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)
scweb@usu.edu