Lewis Hector Garrard was born on 15 June 1829 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1846, he left school and spent a year traveling the southern Rocky Mountains. His journey was primarily in the Taos area of New Mexico. Following the expedition, he wrote a narrative about the journey entitled Wah-To-Yah and the Taos Trail in 1850. After returning from the trip, Garrard attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, and he earned his degree in 1853. He returned to Cincinnati and opened an office but left shortly thereafter.

He and Israel, his brother, moved to Minnesota Territory in 1854. However, after arriving in Minnesota, he became sick and moved to Europe for two years to recover from ill health. During his stay in Europe, Garrard published two volumes on his mother’s ancestry. In 1858, Garrard returned to the new state of Minnesota. He settled in the small community his brother, Israel, founded named Frontenac in Goodhue County. Garrard held numerous political offices while living in the community. For instance, he served as township board chairman, draft commissioner of Goodhue County, and in 1859, he served on the Goodhue County Board of Supervisors. Additionally, in 1859, Garrard was a delegate to the Republican State Convention and won a seat in the state legislature for the 1859-1860 legislative session.

Garrard married Florence Van Vliet in October 1862. The couple had three sons and two daughters. In 1870, they moved from Frontenac to Lake City, Minnesota. Once in Lake City, Garrard served as the president of the First National Bank, the city’s mayor for two terms, and was again elected to the state legislature in 1876. Aside from political successes, Garrard is credited with introducing Devon cattle and Southdown sheep into the Frontenac area and being the first person to cultivate orchard grass in Minnesota.

The Garrard family moved back to Cincinnati in 1884, and Garrard again opened his medical practice. However, his career ended shortly thereafter when he died on 7 July 1887 in Lakewood, New York. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.