Edward William Hardendorf, the proprietor of the Central Meat Market and one of the progressive business men of Little Falls, was born at Salt Springville, New York, on the 22d of May, 1878, the son of William and Mary Marsh Hardendorf, The father, a farmer by occupation, was a native of Montgomery county and died at Salt Springville in 1894. The mother was a daughter of Peter and Sallie Ann Marsh of Gloversville, New York, farmers of that vicinity, where their daughter was born. She passed away at Fort Plain in 1892, at the age of forty-nine.
Edward William Hardendorf was educated in the public schools of Salt Springville and Fort Plain, New York. About the age of seventeen he came to Little Falls and became associated with F. S. Mang in the meat business. At the end of seven years he bought out the interests of his employer, in partnership with W. E. Russ and the enterprise was thereafter conducted under the firm name of Russ and Hardendorf at No. 508 East Main street. After some seven years of this association the partners dissolved their firm, Mr. Russ purchasing the interest of Mr. Hardendorf. The latter shortly reentered the retail meat business by buying the Central Meat Market from Jacob Zoller & Company at No. 50 West Main street. In 1915 Mr. Hardendorf bought the building at No. 36 West Main street for business purposes and has since been conducting his meat market in that location. The name, Central Meat Market, has remained unchanged.
Mr. Hardendorf gives his support to the work of the local Chamber of Commerce. He is a firm believer in the principles of the republican party and belongs to the First Baptist church of Little Falls, in which he has held the office of trustee. In fraternal circles he is known as a York Rite Mason, his affiliations being with the blue lodge, chapter and commandery of that order, while he is likewise identified with Little Falls Council, No. 54, United Order American Mechanics.
On the 15th of November, 1899, at Dolgeville, New York, Mr. Hardendorf was united in marriage to Miss Dorothy Helen Cramer, daughter of John B. and Efan (Doxtader) Cramer, who was born in Stratford, New York, April 22, 1878. Her father, who has attained the age of seventy-five, makes his home with the Hardendorfs in Little Falls. The Cramers trace their line of ancestry back to the Dutch settlers of early New York, while the Doxtaders are of German extraction. Only one of the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hardendorf lived to grow up, Russell Edward Hardendorf, who was born in Little Falls on February 14, 1904, and attended the public and high schools here, graduating from the latter in the class of 1923. He is now attending Syracuse University. Mrs. Hardendorf is president of the Women's Missionary Society of the First Baptist church and takes a lively interest in other branches of the church work. She is also a member of Rock City Chapter, No. 272, Eastern Star, of Little Falls.