Dr. Thomas William Hardison lived on Petit Jean Mountain for nearly half a century and was among the first to envision a park there to preserve its beauty and natural wonders for future generations. His passion and determination eventually helped bring about Petit Jean State Park and, consequently, the Arkansas State Park system, in whose leadership he served for more than a decade. He and his wife raised their family on the mountain, where he was a devoted and trusted doctor for area residents for almost 50 years. A prolific writer, he collected the stories of his neighbors along with his own observations and published hundreds of works about Petit Jean Mountain. He devoted his life to serving the people around him and protecting the natural world he loved.