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Hardin County, Tennessee facts for kids

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Hardin County
Hardin County Courthouse in Savannah
Hardin County Courthouse in Savannah
Official seal of Hardin County
Seal
Map of Tennessee highlighting Hardin County
Location within the U.S. state of Tennessee
Map of the United States highlighting Tennessee
Tennessee's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Tennessee
Founded 1819
Named for Joseph Hardin, Sr.
Seat Savannah
Largest city Savannah
Area
 • Total 596 sq mi (1,540 km2)
 • Land 577 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Water 19 sq mi (50 km2)  3.2%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 26,831 Increase
 • Density 45/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 7th

Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,831. The county seat is Savannah. Hardin County is located north of and along the borders of Mississippi and Alabama. The county was founded in November 1819 and named posthumously for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina; the State of Franklin; and the Southwest Territory. Hardin County was the site of the Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) during the Civil War.

History

Joseph Hardin Courthouse Plaque Savannah TN
The dedication plaque for the Savannah, TN courthouse which is dedicated to Col. Joseph Hardin.

The Hardin Expedition

Two parties of settlers (totaling 26) struck out from Knoxville, Tennessee in late spring of 1816 bound for the general area which would eventually become Savannah, Tennessee. The first party, traveling by boat, came by way of the Tennessee River, landing in May at "the easteward curve of the Tennessee" [sic] at Cerro Gordo. The second, and larger, party had traversed overland and encountered several delays. Upon the arrival of the second group, the parties finally rejoined at Johnson Creek, near present day Savannah. It was now July, and the pioneers set about the laying down of the first permanent settlement by non-Native Americans in the area.

This second party was led by Joseph Hardin, Jr., son of Col. Joseph Hardin who had, before his death, accumulated several land grants to the area as rewards for his Revolutionary War service. Joseph, Jr. was accompanied on the trip by his brother, James Hardin. James was the founder of what would become the first county seat, Hardinville. The settlement was created in 1817 on nearby Hardin’s Creek —on the site of what was later renamed Old Town, Tennessee. Both men executed land grants in the area. They had fought alongside their father in the war and had been likewise rewarded with their own land patents, as well as inheriting some of their father's unclaimed grants.

Other settlers in the expedition continued further downriver, establishing another community at Saltillo, in 1817.

County creation

For eleven days after its initial establishment (in November 1819), the boundaries of Hardin County reached from Wayne County west to the Mississippi River. The establishment of then neighboring Shelby County and others continued to diminish the size of Hardin until it reached its present boundaries. The county was named for Revolutionary War veteran, Joseph Hardin, a former colonial assemblyman for the Province of North Carolina, Speaker of the House for the unrecognized State of Franklin and a territorial legislator of the Southwest Territory.

Battle of Shiloh

Hardin County was the site of the 1862 Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) during the Civil War. The battleground is several miles south of Savannah, and extends into Tishomingo County, Mississippi.

Geography

Pickwick Landing Dam from Pickwick Inn 096
Pickwick Lake

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 596 square miles (1,540 km2), of which 577 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 19 square miles (49 km2) (3.2%) is water.

Hardin County is located in western southern Tennessee (although part of the county is east of the Tennessee River, the county is considered part of the "Grand Division" of West Tennessee). The county is divided into two nearly equal divisions by the Tennessee River, which enters about midway on the south side and passes out near the northeast corner, flowing northwards. The length of the county from north to south is about 30 miles, and its greatest width, from east to west, about 21.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

State protected areas

  • Dry Creek Wildlife Management Area
  • Pickwick Landing State Park
  • Walker Branch State Natural Area
  • White Oak Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 1,462
1830 4,868 233.0%
1840 8,245 69.4%
1850 10,328 25.3%
1860 11,214 8.6%
1870 11,768 4.9%
1880 14,793 25.7%
1890 17,698 19.6%
1900 19,246 8.7%
1910 17,521 −9.0%
1920 17,291 −1.3%
1930 16,213 −6.2%
1940 17,806 9.8%
1950 16,908 −5.0%
1960 17,397 2.9%
1970 18,212 4.7%
1980 22,280 22.3%
1990 22,633 1.6%
2000 25,578 13.0%
2010 26,026 1.8%
2020 26,831 3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014
USA Hardin County, Tennessee.csv age pyramid
Age pyramid Hardin County

2020 census

Hardin County racial composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 24,272 90.46%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 805 3.0%
Native American 81 0.3%
Asian 148 0.55%
Other/Mixed 960 3.58%
Hispanic or Latino 565 2.11%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 26,831 people, 10,137 households, and 7,203 families residing in the county.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Education

Hardin County has one community and several city elementary schools, and also has a middle school. The county has one high school, Hardin County High School, whose sports teams are nicknamed "The Tigers". The Savannah-Hardin County Center, a branch campus of Jackson State Community College, has operated in the City of Savannah, offering an Associate of Science degree in General Studies, since 1998. The University of Memphis has occasionally offered classes at the Center in the past, but there were no classes scheduled there in the summer or fall of 2009. There is also the Tennessee Technology Center at Crump.

Hardin County Schools

  • Hardin County High School
  • Hardin County Middle School
  • Hardin County East Elementary School
  • Hardin County West Elementary School
  • Savannah North Elementary School
  • Pickwick Southside Elementary School
  • Parris South Elementary School

Private Schools

  • Savannah Christian Academy

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Hardin (Tennessee) para niños

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